A Rosegarden Seedling
by Miasushi
Summary: Ruby and Oscar, after doing a VERY regrettable thing in a delirious, desperate moment, find themselves in an unexpected situation. Ruby and Oscar now have to figure out how the're going to deal with it, as well as staying together and keeping each other safe from some now possible threats...including there own friends and family! Rosegarden with Lancaster. Rated T for violence.
1. The Bad and the Burden

Ruby tapped her foot impatiently on the grass and sighed with frustration. She had asked Oscar to meet her here as soon as he possibly could after training with Ozpin and he wasn't here yet, as he likely would be.

She put her hands on her hips and stared up at the black night sky, sparkling with glittering stars, then crossed her arms. The soft chirping of crickets and other loud night bugs and critters could be heard near and far. She tapped her foot faster on the ground and looked around.

_Hurry up, Oscar! This news can't wait long!_

She sighed and shook her head, reaching to her belt and pulling out her scroll.

12:27am.

Ruby groaned in frustration and shook her head again. He was 27 minutes later than when he _should _have come and now she was standing here all alone in the dark. As much as she wished he would just appear, she almost wished that he wouldn't.

The news she was going to tell him wasn't exactly _good _news. In some cases, it would be fantastic news. But in situations like this, it was _not _good. In fact, it was quite dreadful.

"What's taking you _so _long?" Ruby mumbled, tapping her foot some more and then looking back up at the sky, her silver eyes locking with the glowing white moon.

There was the possibility of Oscar still training, even though it would be ridiculous if he was.

Midnight was already a late time for a 17 year old boy who had only recently been 14 to train as hard as possible to. Ozpin meant well, aging the newly 15 year old boy 2 year older with the help of one of his old reincarnate's semblances, and only wanted for Oscar to be strong, well trained, and ready for anything Salem would throw at him, but sometimes, Ruby thought that maybe Ozpin was taking Oscar a little too hard.

He would come back tired, sweaty, and sometimes even mildly injured from his training. And his training started at 3:00 to usually around 12:00, depending on his physical status or the status of everyone else. And if that wasn't hard enough, Oscar could sometimes barely sleep at night due to aches and pains from training, as well as Ozpin's constant talking in his head about Salem and what he planned to do.

"Ruby?"

Oscar's raspy voice startled Ruby and made her jump and give a little "Eep!" before standing rigidly upright and staring frozen at Oscar's taller face staring at her. She relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was just him, not someone else.

"Oh, hey," she said, panting slightly. She _hated _jumpscares and recovered slowly from them. Oscar saw the fear in her eyes and was quick to apologize. He always was.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he said, reaching out his hand to her, but then drawing it slowly away.

"That's okay," Ruby said, lightly nodding her head, "Why are you so late?"

Oscar sighed and held his head down. Rather than looking sweaty and beat up, he looked more tired and worn out, which was somewhat a relief.

"Ozpin had me climb that crazy mountain out north," he began, looking back up at Ruby, "Then, after I killed some Grimm on the way, I had to climb all the way down. No breaks, no stopping. Nothing. Just straight climb and go. _Then _he made me go to some secluded creepy valley behind the mountain and kill a bunch of random Grimm standing around."

He sighed with exasperation and shook his head. Ruby looked softly at him, her eyes filled with sympathy.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. Oscar shook his head and smiled weakly.

"No, that's okay," he said, "I needed it. I can feel the results of all our training. It's starting to pay off."

Ruby nodded slowly, remember suddenly her original reason for asking him here. Her heart began to beat heavily in her chest and a prickly warmth went down her back.

"Uh...Oscar?" she asked slowly, looking up at him with a more solemn face.

"Yeah?" he asked. His voice had gotten _significantly _lower since Ozpin had aged him, but it still held that boyish raspiness that made Ruby giggled sometimes.

"Uh...you remember that time a few months ago?" Ruby began slowly, her voice slightly trembling, "When Emerald and Mercury stole us and threw us into that cold, stoney dungeon?"

Oscar nodded.

"Yeah?"

Ruby swallowed and continued.

"And...uh, that Atlas Professor guy interrogated us for answers about Ozpin and the rest of the group and stuff? And when we didn't answer, he'd hurt you, er-us?"

Oscar nodded slowly.

"Yeah?"

"And you offered your handkerchief to wrap around my arm that night after he cut it with his knife?" Ruby continued, her voice getting slightly more strained with every word. Oscar nodded again.

"Yeah. Ruby, what are you getting at?" he asked, confused.

Ruby sighed.

"Remember a few nights later? I think it was maybe a few weeks...I can't remember. And you got knocked out really bad and then next few days you were in some sort of a haze?"

Oscar nodded.

"Yeah. I still can't really remember much about what happened other than what you just said just now," he said. Ruby nodded.

"Well..while you were in that haze...it got colder and colder in the dungeon, and we were both _really _hurt...and, um, we eventually got to the point where we were both clinging weakly onto each other and crying."

Oscar's eyes widened a little with realization and he nodded.

"Yeah!" he said, remembering, "I remember now! We were injured and bleeding, and our clothes were all torn and we were freezing."

Ruby winced and nodded.

"Well, after a little while...I must have been delirious too..." She put her hand to her forehead in shame and then shook her head.

"Well, after a while, you...I...um, _we_ decided to try to make things a little less...miserable. Like, in a way we should _not _have."

She bit her lip and suddenly debated on whether or not she should actually tell him. It was embarrassing enough just to look at Oscar after their imprisonment, and she didn't want him to think the same way as her mind was now forced to. But she made up her mind. It was his fault too, for what she was going to say. He needed to know. He was going to a part of this. He had to be.

_Just please don't opt out!_

"What did we do?" Oscar asked, scratching his fuzzy brown hair. Ruby took a deep breath and tried in vain to still her thumping heart.

_Tell him the truth._

"We..," she began slowly, now feeling rather warm all over, "I-we...um, we got real close and-er...we did...we had-"

Oscar's eyes widened and he froze, the memories that had been missing flooding back in one, awful wave. He slowly began to tremble, his hands being shakiest. He locked eyes with Ruby, who tried not to look panicked or too worried.

"And...I'm-I'm…" She didn't want to finished the words. Her voice felt strained and it almost hurt to talk, her mind screaming at her not to say. Not to tell him the truth and to just hide it deep inside herself. Literally.

"I'm pregnant, Oscar," Ruby said firmly, her whole innards feeling ready to explode. She had just told him the truth. And how was he going to react? This wasn't exactly something to take lightly, but it wasn't something to freak out and hurt someone about! Well, sort of.

Oscar just stood there, his wide hazel eyes locked with Ruby's silver ones, sparkling in the soft moonlight. Then he slowly tipped himself backwards, staying on his feet.

"Ooohhh! Why did I do that?! WHY?!" he moaned, staring back at the foliage behind him, then straightening back up and staring with large, frightened eyes at Ruby.

"Why did _we _do that?!" he groaned, his eyes widening and staring at Ruby's for a moment before averting to the night sky, "So foolish!"

**See, Oscar? **Ozpin chided in Oscar's head, **I warned you. You should have known not to mess with women, especially not with Miss Rose. She is very young, you know.**

Oscar groaned again and buried his face into his orange gloved hands. He didn't answer Ozpin's scolding, which seldom happened, due to his constant disappearance, but instead wondered what on Remnant he was going to do.

Ruby was pregnant. With _his _baby. What would the group do when they found out? They would probably trust Ozpin _much _less than when they did back in Argus, and just that alone had been miserable. And now they would all condemn him _and _Ruby, knowing it took 2 to cause this situation.

"But...but we're so young!" he said, his voice somewhere between a harsh whisper and a squeak, "I'm only 17! And you're only 16, which is worse, because you're the one carrying the baby! And I hardly know anything about pregnancy? Do you?"

Oscar's sudden outpour was something Ruby had expected, and she just tried to remain calm. Didn't want any Grimm to be attracted.

"Not much," Ruby admitted, resulting in a groan from Oscar, "But I do know a few things! What do you know?"

Oscar looked down.

"I don't know. That the woman's stomach turns into a basketball and you throw up until it's born?"

Ruby giggled, but then sobered immediately.

"I guess," she said softly, "And I don't think I'll be throwing up the _entire _time...But that does seem pretty accurate, to some extent. I know a few other things, too. But I don't think they have anything concerning to do with our situation or you."

Oscar nodded slowly. Then his eyes widened at another realization.

"What're we gonna tell the others?!" he exploded, panicked. Ruby roughly hushed him, pressing her finger to her lips and giving him a cold glare that silenced him.

"We aren't," she said hotly. Oscar looked even more afraid. He hated lying, and also hated hiding things that shouldn't be hidden.

"W-why not?" he asked. Ruby sighed and looked down. Oscar hated it when she was glum and not herself. He liked the bubbly, energetic Ruby, not the Blake Ruby.

"If we tell them, they'll kill us!" Ruby squeaked, cleary under extreme pressure, "You think I _don't _wanna tell them? I _would _if Ozpin wasn't on such...careful watch of everyone and if it wasn't because of you and me! If it hadn't been my fault, I would absolutely tell them! The moment I found out I would've!"

Oscar winced at Ruby's loud, angry voice.

"How long have you known?" he asked quietly. Ruby's anger seemed to melt down as her gloomy, sad state melted in.

"Almost a month," she said slowly, looking down, ashamed, "I'm almost three moths through. Just by the end of my first trimester."

Oscar raised a brow.

"What's that?" he asked, clueless.

"The first third of the nine months of pregnancy," Ruby answered, looking slowly up, "That's something I know."

Oscar nodded, smiling weakly.

"That's for sure."

Ruby smiled weakly back, but continued.

"And I was thinking...that we should raise this child _together_."

Oscar looked hard at her, but not in anger. In graveness.

"Not just that," she continued quickly, "Not just together, but with love and kindness. Like we would if this baby was wanted and planned for."

Oscar sighed and shook his head, looking back up at her with innocent, hazel eyes.

"I'll try," he said quietly. He definitely didn't seem very excited, but he did seem to mean what he had just said. Ruby sighed and gave her head a brief nod.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, "It means a lot."

Oscar just nodded again. He was very frightened, and his life had just gotten a lot harder. Not only would he still have to train with Ozpin for who-knows-how-long, but he would also have to support Ruby and be there for her, not to mention, staying away from Jaune. If he found out…

"Oscar?" Ruby asked, her voice soft, "Are you okay?"

Oscar slowly nodded.

"Yeah," he said with a light, nervous smile, "I'm fine."

Ruby looked sadly at him and stepped up to him, her eyes locked with his.

"I know this is a lot to take in," she said, lifting a hand to the side of Oscar's face, "But sometimes the best way to get rid of a problem is through it. And that's what I-_we _are gonna do. Okay?" She smiled softly at him. He smirked lightly back at her and slowly nodded.

"Okay," he whispered. Ruby drew close up to him and embraced him with a warm, tight hug. Oscar hugged he back, suddenly feeling warm and happy as he did. But part of him urged him to look backwards, fearing Jaune to be there. But Jaune wasn't. He was sleeping, in his tent. Oscar had too many bad memories of Jaune.

Being slammed up against the wall and yelled at for no good reason, constantly glared at, and now...Jaune would kill him if he found out. And Ozpin certainly hadn't been helping the situation. If only there was a way that Jaune would understand. He had seemed nice enough when he had first met him, but after the train crashed and Jinn had revealed everything about Ozma, he had suddenly become a monster, at least to him. And Jaune had seemed to be a little nicer to Ruby than everyone else...

_If Jaune likes her, then he'll burn me after he kills me, too._

Ruby slowly drew away, a soft smile on her face. She yawned, rubbed her eyes, and then patted Oscar's shoulder.

"We can talk more later," she yawned, giving him full eye contact one more time, "Goodnight." Then she turned away and walked slowly to the group's campsite, disappearing behind the trees.

Oscar watched her leave, his small smile fading as she disappeared from view. He hung his head and gave an exasperated sigh. He looked arond at all the foliage, glanced at the shattered, glowing moon, and the turned around, slowly walking towards the pond. It was a small freshwater pond, with a river flowing into and out of it, which came from a freshwater lake some distance away. The moonlight reflected off of it's glassy surface, along withe the image of all the trees and plants surrounding the bank. The cricket's song chirped it's nighty tune, accompanying the lonely silence that was Oscar's current world.

He looked down at his strong, manly reflection and sighed.

"Sorry, Ruby," he said sadly, staring into the hazel eyes of his reflection, "But I don't think I'd make a very good daddy."

-iiiii/00ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo00/iiiii-

**Yeah...go team Rosegarden! I shouldn't be writing stories like this, buuuuuuuttt. Nobody else does. Please write a review and fav this! I love reading those...**

**Thanks for reading this chapter and please keep reading!**


	2. 2 Truths and a Lie

"Look, none of this is great, we know," Oscar said, stepping forward, "But we're not the bad guys here."

There was a tiny window of silence as everyone stood there, glum and confused. Then Jaune spoke up, his back still turned.

"Are we sure about that?" he asked in a chilly tone. A cold feeling of shock zapped through Oscar as Jaune's sudden question processed itself in his head.

"What?" Oscar asked, hushed and somewhat frightened. Jaune was tall, strong and much older. And if he thought Oz was doin something…

Jaune's shoulders rose and fell as his temper began to rise. Jaune turned around, his blue eyes showing anger and a new hatred, and began to walk towards Oscar.

"He's in _your _head, isn't he?"

He neared Oscar with a little more speed, causing Oscar to take a step backwards.

"Did you already know about this?" He was very close now and he looked about ready to hurt someone. Weiss, seeing now what may happen and feeling bad for Oscar, quickly held out her arms, stepping slightly in the way.

"He didn't know any of it!" she defended, now somewhat afraid of Jaune also. Jaune suddenly shoved Oscar forward, slamming him into the wall and then holding him there with his strong, firm fists.

"How much longer can we even trust him?" Jaune demanded, pushing against him. Oscar, afraid and surprised, could only stay helplessly where he was as Jaune yelled furiously into his face.

"Jaune!" Yang said with a raised voice. Sure, she seemed to not be a big fan of Oz right now, but she clearly understood that Ozpin and Oscar weren't the same person.

"How do _we _really know it's him?!" he shouted, turning his head and looking angrily at everyone else behind him, "What if we've been talking to that liar this whole time?!" He began to shake Oscar, forcing him harder and harder into the wall.

"Jaune!"

Everyone, including Jaune and Oscar, looked backwards at who had yelled. It was Ruby who screached it this time, her fists balled up and her face clearly was dead serious, and she did _no_t look happy about what Jaune had just done.

Another horrible moment of silence followed, and Oscar slowly held up his hand for some sort of protection. Jaune let go of Oscar, making him drop for a split second onto the floor, landing on his feet. Then he stood there for a moment, and his face suddenly melted from anger, to shock and realization, to shame. Slowly, Oscar still standing with his hands up, body tense, and eyes squeezed shut, Jaune turned around, and then walked up the stairs. Nobody said a word. The sound of a door slamming harshly shut followed soon after.

Oscar, who had slowly dropped out of his defensive mode, looked up at the stairway, then back at everyone else with a sigh.

But to his surprise, only Ruby was standing there, her head down and her hood up. The room around them became dimmer, then became completely black, Ruby being the only visible thing.

"R-Ruby?" Oscar asked, confused. His farm gloves were now replaced with his new combat ones, as well as his whole outfit. Ruby slowly looked up, her sliver eyes glistening with tears and her lip quivering. Her face was an emotional heartbreak, piercing Oscar's heart.

"Ruby!" Oscar yelled, running over to her and wrapping her in a hug, "It's okay! I'm here!" But the moment he touched her, she fell away and disappeared, her hood the only thing Oscar was holding. Clinging on to. Footsteps sounded behind him; hurried, angry, many, running down the stairs to him, even though it wasn't even in sight. Oscar swung around, startled, and saw everyone there: Weiss, Blake, Nora, Ren, and 2 _very _angry people; Yang and Jaune.

"You _dare _mess with my baby sister?!" Yang demanded furiously, walking quickly over, "You _dare _destroy her innocence?!" She approached him with her hair flaring with yellow flames and glowing wildly, as well has her violet eyes changed to a deep red. Oscar hurried to jump out of the way of her, but found he couldn't move. He was glued to his spot and left to watch Yang barrel towards him, her gauntlets loaded. Both of her arms were back, too, and so was her other gauntlet. With a yell and a frightened scream from Oscar, she smashed her fists forward and shot them straight into Oscar's chest, shooting him with her punch and throwing him backwards into the wall. He smacked the wall, knocking his wind out and stunning him momentarily.

When he stood back up, he immediately saw Jaune approaching him, his head bowed and his blond hair spilling over his eyes. His fists were balled up in anger, and the veins in his neck were bulging. Oscar tried desperately to move away, but found that he was stuck again, only this time, his _en__tire_ body was frozen in place. He couldn't move an inch.

"You _dare _take her from me?" Jane said in a chilly tone, the same one he had used in Argus before he had smashed him into a wall. Oscar could only flinch as Jaune suddenly leaped at him, his sword arced high above his head. His sword seemed to slice through him, but as it did, Jaune slowly faded away as Oscar flew into another wall.

The wall shattered, as if glass, from the impact, reeking more pain across his body, and he fell into an odd, white room. It smelled, sounded, and felt like a hospital room; cooler temperature, buttons, whirring, and even people talking, and that strong antiseptic smell, but the whole room was just white. Oscar had no cut or wound from Jaune's sword, though.

A sudden, shrill shriek of a baby sounded, startling Oscar badly and making him jump. Behind him lay a red, nude baby, screaming and crying on the floor beside a very still Ruby, laying on her belly so her face was hidden. Oscar slowly approached the child, his whole body trembling as he neared it. It was a boy. His face was all scrunched up from crying and his eyes were tightly shut, but Oscar could see the baby's clear facial features. It certainly looked like a Ruby and Oscar baby, but something about it didn't seem right...

"Ruby!" Oscar screamed, suddenly remembering that she had been laying motionless on the floor beside him. He knelt by her side and gently shook her. Her body felt cold, stiff, and lifeless, and yet at the same time, weak, hot, and different. She felt weirdly soft and almost squishy to his touch, but he wasn't sure. It was all too strange. Slowly, he began to turn her over, the room turning dim again. He could hear strange, eerie whispers and voices all around him and then, with a deep breath, he turned her over all the way.

Her face,, which was so beautiful and young, was snow white and damp, dark purple circles around her eyes. Her lips were blue, her open mouth was empty of all that should be there, and her eyes...She opened them, suddenly, and revealed them to him. Instead of sparkling silver, they were black, the whites were replaced with a sickly yellow, and her pupils were deep red. She made a strange gurgling noise and a cloud of small, strange bugs flew from her nose and mouth, swarming around Oscar's face and beginning to nible at it. Oscar could only scream as his body was frozen yet again and the bugs filled his mouth and nose and ears and eyes...

"WAAAAAAKE UP, LAZY BOY!" Nora screeched cheerfully. The crazy cloud of bugs that had crowded Oscar's dream with darkness and lack of breathing disappeared, the black shattering as Nora's voice entered his ears. He sat bolt upright, panting and drenched in sweat. His whole body throbbed and his lungs gulped in the air the had not been getting enough of.

"It's past sunrise and we've been waiting for you!" Nora shouted, still cheerful as ever, "Breakfast is getting cleaned up and you'll staaaaarrrvve!" She clapped her hands together, gave him a bright smile with a wink, and then zipped away, leaving Oscar alone again. He sighed and fell backwards onto his sleeping bag, feeling more than ready to let sleep claim him again. His horrible nightmare, which, last night, had a memory as the host, had melted away as the sweet chirps of birdsong and the morning sunlight filtered in though his tent, illuminating it in a warm, golden glow. His body ached _everywhere _and he felt like he had just biked up a mountain for hours without a brake. Well, that actually wasn't too far off. It was more like he had _ran _up a mountain.

He mentally cast his daily bit of anger at the Distance Great and Powerful Ozpin, not that it mattered. Ozpin only seemed to talk when it least mattered or was the most irrelevant. Luckily, he hadn't seemed up to chat last night and Oscar was able to get a full night's sleep. Well, more like a good few hours after midnight. Oscar yawned and rolled his head to the side, feeling completely unwilling to move any muscle. He felt like a toddler who had just woken up from a nap and a toddler who hadn't taken a nap at all and a toddler who was naughty and had his father tan his hide and a toddler who had just caught the flu and went untreated for three weeks and a toddler who almost drowned but was saved by his father and a toddler who hadn't eaten in a week and a toddler after thanksgiving and a toddler in love with another toddler and...

Oscar shook his head and stopped thinking about how he felt.

_I'm loosing my mind_

"Oscar?" Ruby asked cautiously, her shadow visible from inside the tent. Oscar felt his heart rise a little at her sweet, high voice. He lazily rolled over with some effort and buried his face into his sleeping bag.

"Come in," came his tired, muffled reply. Ruby seemed to brighten up when she heard this, and she eagerly pulled back the tent fold and stepped inside. Oscar raised his head and glanced behind him to catch a glimpse of her before he disappeared back into his warm, somewhat sweaty relm of the folds of his sleeping bag. His face grew slightly hotter as he studied her for the millionth time, although he and Oz had constantly chided himself _not _to. But every time, he couldn't help himself. Especially after _that night_. Her outfit was just so pretty on her, outlining her shapes and curves, the silver rose complementing her eyes, and her hood accenting the red highlights in her hair. The outfit as a whole was just perfect for Ruby, and it made Oscar smile. He snapped himself out of his masculine trance and buried his head back into his bedding.

"Good morning!" Ruby greeted cheerfully, clasping her hands together, "How're you doing?"

Oscar mumbled something into his sleeping bag and rolled over, staring at her. "Just swell. You?"

Ruby smiled softly and looked down. "I'm alright."

Something about her answer and how her cheerfulness had suddenly seemed to soften concerned him. He sat halfway up and looked at her with worry. He just wanted her to be okay. Nothing was going to hurt _his _little rose.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, lifting a hand and reaching it slightly out towards her. Ruby smiled and nodded, but then looked down again. He couldn't tell if she was sad, hiding something, ill...

"Are you sick or-" Oscar froze in mid-sentence, suddenly remembering the little talk they had last night. Ruby was pregnant. He was going to be a dad and she was going to be a mom. Nobody else knew. Only them. What was he going to do? How was he going to tell everyone? Was everyone going to condemn him? Would they condemn Ruby? Would they heap all the hate and blame on Ozpin, which technically meant that Oscar was going to get kicked out. He began to panic again.

"What're we going to do?!" he yelled, grabbing his fuzzy brown hair with both hands and then pulling at it in despair. Ruby was startled by his sudden shout, and it made her jump. Another successfully jump scare by Oscar Pine.

"Ssh!" she hissed, pressing her finger to her lips and giving him a cold glare. The two of them stayed perfectly still for a moment, listening to the outside noises of their group. A few people's shadows looked towards Oscar's tent, a few conversations suddenly halting. Then Jaune's tall shadow, even taller than Qrow's, slowly approached the tent, his footsteps only making Ruby more afraid. Ruby, whose eyes were wide, looked at Oscar, then back at the approaching Jaune. Then she whipped around and gestured for Oscar to lay down. LAY DOWN! Oscar flopped back down onto his sleeping back and closed his eyes. The darkness seemed to consume him the moment he closed his eyes, dragging him off to sleep.

_You worked me way too hard, Oz_

The tent fold slowly pealed back as a worried Jaune poked his head through. He was met face to face with a cheerfully smiling Ruby, who waved vigorously at him as soon as he made his appearance. He stepped back a moment, then smiled with a light smirk. Ruby inwardly groaned when he did. It was that smile he made whenever he felt something for her. It wasn't cringy for her because she didn't like him at all, but because she was beginning to like Oscar now. She had felt a little something for Jaune while they had been traveling to Mistral, but after she had found out she was going to have Oscar's baby, all of that had just sort of...fell.

"Hey, is everything okay in here?" he asked. The scratch in his voice had always made Ruby want to smile, but right now, Ruby just wanted to keep Oscar and Jaune on good terms. No need for extra violence before he found out. But hopefully, he wouldn't have to.

"Yep!" Ruby said brightly, "I was just making sure Oscar got up, him going to sleep at midnight and all. He should eat breakfast." She smiled and made to leave the tent. Jaune nodded his head, but walked forward.

"Why did he sound panicked?" Jaune asked, stopping when Ruby blocked his way, "Is he alright?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, he was just having a nightmare when I woke him up, is all." Jaune nodded his head slowly.

"Okay," he said. He turned around and stretched, then rubbed an itch on his face. "Ha. My face has been feeling a little itchy lately." He chuckle and scratched it again, then walked towards the fire where Ren and Nora were arguing about how to properly boil coffee. Ruby giggled.

"I thin he's starting to grow a bit of masculine scruff," she said, just loud enough for Oscar to hear. Oscar mumbled his reply. Ruby turned around and frowned.

"Oscar, you need t come out and eat," she called, "We already served breakfast and Nora's probably going to eat what we saved for you if you don't!" She turned around and looked at the leftover bowl of porridge set aside for Oscar, only to find it was gone. Licked clean, according to Ren when Ruby asked him about it. Ruby glared at Nora, who was messing around with Magnhild and testing out her aim scope.

"Nora!" Ruby wailed, "That was for Oscar! How dare you steal his food!" Nora looked up from her weapon and started to laugh. She shook her head and waved her hand at Ruby as if dismissing her accusation.

"Oh, Ruby!" she giggled, "He wasn't gonna eat it anyway! Ren makes that stuff blander than dirt!" She stuck out her tongue and made as if gagging.

"Dirt has a strong flavor!" Ren called from the edge of the woods, where he was gathering more wood, "I would not recommend consuming it!" He turned back to collecting wood. Nora waved a hand at him and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, pshaw!" she said, turning her attention on Ruby, "He doesn't know anything. Thanks for letting me eat yours."

Ruby nodded. "You bet!" she answered. She inwardly moaned as a wave of nausea passed over her. The empty bowl of porridge still had remains smeared inside of it, along with a slight smell of it and a much stronger scent of Nora's saliva...Ruby almost gagged right then and there, but she turned it into a simple cough, hoping she hadn't looked too suspicious.

"You okay over there, Shortstack?" Qrow asked, Ruby's coughing sound arousing his attention. He was sitting on one of the logs that served as a seat by the fire. His flask was in his hand, but he didn't look too drunk right now. Normal good 'ole Uncle Qrow at the moment. His maroon eyes locked with her's. He had such a kind look sometimes, and right now, it made Ruby feel even guiltier about what she was hiding.

"Yup!" Ruby chirped, "Just swallowed my spit down the wrong pipe!" She inwardly condemned her now strong sense of smell, which now seemed to have caught the attention of Qrow and Weiss. Not many others had seemed to notice one night when Ruby had complained about a dead animal rotting somewhere and stinking up the air. Nobody else had been able to smell it, but Yang had went off and found a big dead possum near the lake. She had been able to smell it then. She had decided to bring it back to camp and "show" it to everyone there. Yeah, that had been a mess. And it had made Ruby _actually _gag, only, she had managed to run into the bushes before anyone could see her do it. Qrow and Weiss had seen her run off. She had simply explained that she thought she had seen a Grimm or something. But now Weiss and Qrow, seemed to be keeping an out out for her. More than once, she had ran off after seeing or smelling something, and countless times she had seemed more tired than usual. Qrow had asked her once, but she dismissed it and told him it was all fine.

Qrow just narrowed his eyes and nodded his head slowly, then took a swig from his flask. He seemed to be buying this less and less every time. And Ruby had been hiding it for more than a month. But her morning sickness was really hard to keep hidden from everyone, especially her sister and uncle. Yang was also concerned quite a bit, only, she thought that maybe Ruby was coming down with something or was just not digesting their new food well. (They had recently gotten a new supply from a village they had passed.) But her assumptions were also starting to be doubted by herself and the others. Now Ruby _really _needed to keep herself in check. Pretty much the whole group was keeping a close eye on her in some way shape or form. But Qrow, Weiss and Yang were the most dangerous for now.

Ruby sighed and started towards her tent, where she often spent an hour or two to herself in peaceful solitude. That was the only time she could really roll around and groan about her queasy stomach and tiredness. Nobody really interrupted, at least not usually. But this time was different. This time, as she lay on her side, clutching her stomach, taking deep, concentrated breaths, and watching the tent folds carefully, the tent folds pealed back, revealing Yang's thick mop of yellow hair. Ruby abruptly flipped herself into a sitting position, snatched a nearby book, and stared hard at the pages, who's letters swam on the page in a sea of white paper.

"Ruby?" Yang asked, concerned. She had most definitely seen Ruby laying on the floor in her pity pose and was ready to take action. Anything to protect her poor baby sister. "Are you okay?"

Ruby looked up slowly from her page, sweat already beginning to form. Then she made a big, nervous smile, which could never fool Yang anymore after all those years of growing up together. "Oh! Yang!" she squeaked, trying to sound surprised and cheery, "I, uh, didn't expect you to show up right now! You know, 'cause I _asked _that _nobody _came into _my _tent without-er...announcing themselves first?" She made a quiet, nervous laugh.

Yang's worried face became more serious and she narrowed her purple eyes. She looked hard at her sister and closed her mouth. "Why were you laying on the floor. Are you sick?" She slapped her hand to Ruby's forehead, testing to see if it was warmer than ought. It was no different from her own, so she slowly brought her hand back. But her face held suspicion. "Did you eat something weird that I said not to, then are hiding it because you don't want me to snitch on ya? Because it's okay. If you aren't okay, it's okay. I can help you, ya know." Yang's gave dropped down to the book Ruby was 'reading' and her eyes widened.

"Why are you reading that?!" she gasped, grabbing at it. She held the book out so both she and Ruby could see the cover. "Why are you reading 'Red Sky at Night; Vampire's Delight'?!" She dropped the book onto the ground and sighed. Ruby looked down. She didn't know what to say.

_Use the book as an excuse!_

"I, ugh...I'm sorry," Ruby apologized, "I-Blake wanted me to read it, so..." She tried to look as innocent as possible. Another wave of nausea passed through her, making her face look slightly ill. But she immediately perked up. But Yang had seen that, too. She walked closer to Ruby and knelt down beside her, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me," Yang said softly in her nice, sister voice, "But if you don't tell me, then what you're hiding will just get worse and I might not be able to help then. And I want you to be okay, 'kay?" She smiled softly. Ruby's guilt rose over her nausea and she felt tears in her eyes.

_You can't tell her the truth. For Oscar's sake. For Ozpin's sake. For my sake._

"I...I'm sorry," Ruby choked, "I-I just haven't been feeling well lately and-and I didn't want to delay our time and...I-I'm sorry-" Her fake excuse was suddenly cut off by a sudden hug from Yang. Ruby could feel her sister's chin on her shoulder and her arms wrapped tightly around her body in loving sisterhood, and she hugged her back, tears falling down her face as the guilt of her hidden pregnancy began to pour from her eyes.

"It's okay," Yang whispered, "Don't torture yourself because of us. Just tell us. It's a perfectly understandable thing and we're your friends!" She pulled Ruby back and held her by her shoulders. "We understand! We love you, Ruby, and true friends forgive." Yang hugged Ruby again and closed her eyes as a small tear rolled out.

"I'm your sister," she said though the hug, "And I will always forgive you."

Ruby felt even worse after that sentence. "No matter what?" Ruby asked, her voice shaking with emotion.

"No matter what," Yang answered, pulling back and smiling. Ruby heart pounded in her chest.

_I should tell her! I should tell her! Now's the perfect time! If she finds out another way, it could be really bad! Right now is all soft and fuzzy! Sister time right now, c'mon, Ruby! TELL HER!_

But despite all of the voices in her head that screamed for her to tell Yang, she simply smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, Yang," she said, wiping a tear from her eye, "It means a lot."

Yang winked. "Any time, Sis." And with that, she stood up, stretched, and went for the tent's entrance.

"So...You are sick?" she asked, her hand on the tent's entrance. Ruby nodded her head slowly and looked down. Yang nodded and went to leave. But as she peeled back the folds, she looked back over her shoulder and smiled at her sister.

"I'm glad we had this chat." And with that, she left, leaving Ruby alone again.

"Guys! Ruby's sick!" Yang's slightly muffled voice called, meters from the tent. "We're staying here for a bit!"

Ruby felt relieved, frightened, and guilty, knowing now that the group would likely expect her to be back on her feet in only a few days. She was at the peek of her morning sickness, but she was nearly finished with her first trimester...Maybe the sickness would fade soon. Very soon. But while it was still here, she had to play things out smartly, or she and Oscar would have to pay extreme consequences, as well as poor Ozpin, who Ruby had started to really pity. She just hoped Oscar could help a little with the whole secret hiding thing. It would take more than one person to keep the rest away.

* * *

**Welp, this is a fun one to write. Hopefully I'm not making the chapters too short...Anyway, thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters! And please write reviews, I like those. :)**


	3. Priceless Words

The next few days were nothing much but stalling. Ruby lay in her tent pretending to be sick, and everyone else rolled with it. Qrow dropped in often to check on her, and his concern was not deep, but he was a little softer than usual. It made Ruby both guilty and happy. She loved Uncle Qrow very much, and every time he came by, she would feel a little more cheerful. But one thing that made her guilt rise the highest was when Jaune came to visit. He would ask her if she needed anything, give her water, and do anything she asked, not matter how difficult the task. And the worst thing about it all was that she knew that he loved her. She had also, for a little, felt a little something for him, but after that time with Oscar...now all she could do was force herself to take it as a deep friendship. And poor Jaune! He loved her and she didn't really love him...anymore. But that was all behind her now. Now she needed to really love on Oscar and somehow get the message through to the group that she and him were'rent exactly "together". It wasn't helping that he visited her almost as often as Jaune did.

One morning, nearly a week from when Yang had declared Ruby's "illness", Ruby was awakened by Jaune, who was gently shaking her. His kind face and his warm blue eyes were welcoming, and it made Ruby smile as she made eye contact with him. But then, of course, just like every morning, she remembered her present situation. Her smile faded, but she quickly smiled again and sat up a little. She felt a little better, but the annoying morning sickness would likely catch up to her in a little while.

"Hey," he said softly. His voice was so ambient! Ruby smiled.

"Hey."

"How're you doing?" he asked. Ruby nodded her head slightly.

"Better," she answered. She inwardly sighed with relief as Jaune's face brightened up and smiled.

"That's great!" he said, his voice also much cheerfuller, "On a scale from 1 to 10?"

"8," she answered, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Jaune clapped his hands gently together and smiled wider. "That's wonderful! Do you think you could be back on your feet by tomorrow? Or maybe even later today?"

_According to what I read on my scroll a few nights ago, _Ruby mentally calculated, _I actually should be back on my feet soon! Ha ha! Yes! Bye bye, morning sickness!_

"Yeah. I think so."

"Awesome! I'll tell the others!"

He stood back up and practically skipped out of her tent, a very wide smile on his face. Ruby sighed, glad that he was gone. It got more and more awkward for her when he was around. It was like talking with your ex as if they had never been a thing with you. She sat up all the way and stretched, glad to be feeling better. She was sick of always feeling like she was going to throw up. Literally. The sweet sound of birdsong outside and the faint trickling of water made her feel much happier. The morning light was bright and warm, and a cool breeze filtered in through the fabric of Ruby's tent, cooling her off. She had felt rather warm in her tent, being constantly bundled up in blankets and drinking hot tea, provided specially by Ren. She slowly stood up, glad that she could, and stretched again, enjoying every moment of it. She would step out of her tent, likely be barreled over by Yang, greet the others, and hopefully have a normal place in the group again.

_I was just sick and am now better. Nothing ever happened. Nothing else is wrong whatsoever. Oscar is innocent. I am innocent. Everything is completely back to normal. We can continue on the trail and-_

"Ruby!" Weiss's voice when raised was almost alien to her, but it was definitely Weiss's. Ruby liked it when certain people in the group raise their voices, while she preferred others not to. Weiss, Ren, sometimes Uncle Qrow, and Oscar were the ones she liked to raise their voices. It was something they didn't do too much, and when they did, their voice did something with it that made her grin.

Ruby looked forward to see Weiss sitting on one of the logs around the fire, her left leg crossed over her right. She was looking at Ruby with wide, eager eyes, a look she seldom made. It was as if she actually cared about her right now. Ruby waved and nervously giggled, taking a step forward. Weiss stood up and eagerly approached her leader, her sky blue eyes glimmering.

"Ruby, you'll never believe it!" she said, her voice holding a foreign excitement, "I-Jaune-can I talk to you after breakfast? It's kind of..." she paused and thought for a moment, looking up, "Private...Okay?"

Ruby smirked and nodded.

"Wow, Weiss," she said playfully, "I never thought you could be so excited before." She rolled her eyes and giggled. Weiss grunted and rolled her eyes, then walked back to the fire. But her eyes still held that glimmering excited look and her lips curved back into a smile.

"Glad you're feeling better!" she called over her shoulder before sitting down. Ruby smiled. It felt good to have friends. Suddenly, she felt very eager to see Oscar. She hadn't seen him much after Jaune had butted in line for a visit to her. Now he only came by once and a while, here and there. And now she was worried for him. He seemed really uptight and scared of Jaune. Maybe Jaune had been had been acting a little more defensive about her to him?

_Or maybe he knows._

Ruby shook off that terrible suggestion and eagerly hurried towards Oscar's tent. Not too hastily, of course, of others might get suspicious. She was eager to see him, and she missed him quite a bit.

_Just let me see your huge hazel eyes and your freckled face again!_

She giggled to herself and stopped in front of Oscar's tent, which was a faded olive green. She slowly peeled back the folds and stepped slowly inside. Oscar was there, but he wasn't facing her. He was sitting crisscross with his hands in his lap, facing the back of his tent so that his back was facing Ruby. His olive green coat was off, tossed haphazardly onto his sleeping bag, showing the white shirt underneath. His gloves were also laying beside them. He was also talking to...Ozpin?

"I know!" he almost shouted, his voice clearly frustrated, "You can stop lecturing me now!" He paused for a moment, likely listening to Ozpin's reply, then continued with some sort of exasperation about him. "I know, and I'm sorry. But they still blame you, and honestly, I'm not even completely sure if Ruby's still with you! I know that she's there for me, and full in on that, but as far as you go, I have no idea. Once they find out, all they're going to be thinking is how 'horrible' you are, and then _nobody _is going to listen to you, not even Ruby."

Ruby froze at the mention of her name. Was Oscar mad at her? Was _Ozpin _mad at her? The thought made a cold chill go down her spine. She hated being the center of an argument or problem, and if this 'mistake' that she and Oscar had caused was going to destroy everything Ozpin had ever planned, then she would feel like the worst woman alive. And poor Oscar...She balled her hands into fists and let the sweat rise on them.

"Look," Oscar said, turning sightly, "I know that you don't want them to loose all trust they have with you and leave you and your big idea in the dark, potentially destroying all hopes of peace. But do you understand that they're _my _friends? If they leave you, they leave me. And guess what? They're gonna condemn Ruby if she tries to stay with me, and then she's gonna leave me. _Ruby will leave me_, if things backfire."

The desperation and pain in his voice made Ruby feel both sad and wonderful. She meant everything to Oscar, apparently, which made her feel warm and happy inside, not to mention that it made her want to give him a big hug. But she also felt sad for him. His voice and his words were sad and strained, and he was not in a good position right now. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"So don't get mad at _me_, if things backfire they leave us," Oscar continued with an angry, yet sorrowful tone, "This is your fault too. If you hadn't hidden everything from them and then looked kinda evil when they were figuring it out, then _maybe _they would trust you a whole lot more! And do you think I was _trying _to get her pregnant?! I was dying, and so was she. I don't know where we got that idea, but we were both sick, cold, and dying. So it's even less my fault, and none of this has anything much to do with Ruby. If she decides to tell all of them that she's going to have my baby, then maybe I'd get a little upset. But I already know that it's hardly her fault. So even if they do condemn her, I will stay with her, no matter what they do to me, and no matter what you say."

Ruby felt more tears slide down her cheeks and she quickly tried to wipe them away. It was then that she realized that she had been crying nearly the whole time since Oscar had started defending her. She knew right then and there that she truly loved him and would stay with him though anything. Especially this. Ruby sniffed and wiped away another tear. Oscar heard it, though, and swung around, startled. His large hazel eyes were wide, but they relaxed when they saw that it was just her. Just Ruby Rose.

"Hey, Ruby," he sighed, scooting to face her. Ruby smiled her greeting and sat down, wiping away another tear. Oscar noticed her wet cheeks and the pink tear stains and immediately took action.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked, quickly grabbing a loose towel on the floor and wiping her face dry. Ruby smiled gratefully at him and nodded.

"I'm fine."

"When did you come in?"

"Only a minute ago. I heard you talking with Professor Ozpin."

**Fun. The single student of this entire group who still addresses me as 'Professor' Ozpin.**

"Quiet, I'm talking to her," Oscar hissed to Ozpin, willing him to be quiet. It was annoying when he disappeared and annoying when he reappeared. "Oh. You did." He looked down, as if ashamed, then looked back up, staring into her pretty silver eyes. Ruby nodded slowly.

"Thank you," she said, her voice almost a whisper, "It means a lot."

Oscar didn't need to be told what she meant by that. It was pretty clear to him, and he felt his heart warm up and beat a little stronger. He almost felt proud of his previous conversation. He looked at her and suddenly noticed that she was tearing up again. Yes, Ozpin had told him that pregnancy could lead to mood swings, whatever those were. He assumed that was now, tearing up over the tiniest things. He stretched out his arms, welcoming her to a hug, if she wanted one right now. And she did. She nearly jumped into his arms, crying all the more and hugging him back tightly. She really was an innocent little girl, so small and sweet. She was just carrying a tiny baby in her stomach at the moment.

Oscar patted her back and rubbed his chin on her shoulder, while she pressed her face into his neck. It felt a little funny, but he liked it. She felt so warm and snugly when she hugged him, and she though a similar thing about him. Silly how the two of them thought similar things about each other. She continued to cry into his shoulder while he gently petted her hair with his non-gloved hands. He had taken them off last night once he came back from training, the orange fabric stained with blood. Of course, his hands were healed, having only been minorly scratched and healed from aura, but the blood from his hands last night remained on the gloves.

"I love you, Oscar," she sobbed, making a hot prickle rise on his neck, "I love you so much!"

Oscar just smiled softly and hugged her tighter. "I love you too, Ruby. And I will _always _be here for you, no matter what."

Those words could've been bought for thousands of lien if they could be sold. Sincere promises like that when you're in love are gold to anyone, even cold, heartless people. Ruby felt an even bigger wave of emotion strike through her and she began to weep like crazy into his broad, strong shoulder. It felt good to rub her face into his shoulder, especially when she was sad. Oscar just continued to comfort her, petting her hair and hugging her.

Footsteps coming from outside of the tent made the two of them freeze, the sadness and love from the moment before halting and then melting away as they realized that someone was coming. And they were close, too. Too close.

They exchanged glances of panic, jerked away from each other, and then both began looking around for a way for them to escape the possible havoc to follow. Oscar, leaped forward and ripped open the back of the tent, allowing room for escape. Ruby nodded at him with a grateful smile, then disappeared in a flurry of red rose petals, escaping through the back. Oscar quickly closed it and sat back into the corner, then quickly yelled out loud in a frustrated grunt, "Oh, c'mon, Oz!" He inwardly cringed at how fake it must have sounded, but set his face into a rock hard furious face.

Jaune paused from the entrance to his tent at the yell, then opened his tent, revealing a very angry looking Oscar with his head in his hands. He looked like he had just had a very heated argument with Ozpin, a common occurrence whenever he showed his ugly head. Well, more like his ugly voice, in this case. Jaune took a step back, surprised that Ruby wasn't in there with him. He thought he had heard her in here...

"Hey, uh...Oscar?" he began slowly. Oscar turned around and faced Jaune, a scowl on his face.

"What?" His reply sounded more like a demand of some sort. Jaune scratched the back of his head and looked down, then looked back up at Oscar, locking eye with him. Deep blue with bright hazel.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure? Because you sounded-er, _sound _pretty angry right now."

"Just Oz. He keeps scolding me for not training 'hard enough' for him." He rolled his eyes and grunted. Jaune, who was not used to Oscar being so upset and salty, just nodded his head slowly.

"Uh, okay then." He looked up at him and rubbed his fuzzy blond hair again. "I'll see you later."

Then Jaune left as quietly as he had come, leaving Oscar alone again. Oscar _did _feel a little angry, though, for real. He didn't want Jaune interfering with anything that he and Ruby were going to do. And as far as he could see, Jaune liked Ruby, and if he found out the truth, he would probably take it all out on Oscar, using Ozpin as an excuse for all the others to kick him out. Not just that, but by doing that, he would be taking something very dear to Ruby away from her in a cruel, harsh manner, possibly leaving her with some sort of resentment towards him. Boy, were things a mess. If only Jaune was gone right now.

Oscar sighed, stretched, and then pulled his coat and his gloves back on. The stained blood in the orange fabric had dried and was now hard and crusty, making his gloves somewhat uncomfortable. But he just shrugged and stood up, stretching some more, and then heading towards the exit to his tent. But he paused for a moment, an unspoken question floating around in his head. He tilted his head slightly to the side and looked up at the roof of his tent.

"Anything to say, Oz?" he asked. When only silence replied, he nodded and left his tent, his shoulders in good posture and his face determined. For whatever reason, he felt like he could tackle his training today with good strength. Was it just the fact that Ruby had poured out her heart to him and totally refreshed his romantic situation? Or was it that Jaune hadn't pummeled him the moment he suspected that Ruby was in his tent? Well, whatever it was, it certainly made him feel good, so he walked to the breakfast fire in a much better mood than usual.

Meanwhile, after escaping Oscar's tent, Ruby had met back up with Weiss, eager to look innocent, and asked Weiss what she wanted to share. Weiss had eagerly grabbed Ruby's hand and ran off to the pond, a rare occurrence due to her petty, upright, royal manners. After going behind a tree and glancing around to make sure that nobody else was present, Weiss looked at Ruby with shimmering, excited eyes.

"I'm in love with Jaune!" Weiss almost squealed. Ruby looked at her, confused.

"Uh, what?" She raised a brow. Weiss rolled her eyes.

"What, is that hard to believe?" she asked with a snooty tone. Ruby shrugged, resulting in a gasp from Weiss.

"And what makes you say that?!" she demanded, her cheeks glowing already. Ruby giggled.

"It's just that, in Beacon, you _hated _Jaune. You didn't want anything to do with him! You even described him as 'tall, blond, and scraggly'." She held her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. That description was true and false at the same time. Jaune was _very _tall, he was blond, and in some ways, he was scraggly. Just not _exactly_.

Weiss just rolled her eyes and sniffed.

"Well I didn't want your feedback, anyway," she said, turning her head hotly. Ruby giggled again.

"Then why did you tell me in the first place?"

"Because!" Weiss snapped, turning her head to look at her teammate, "You're my leader and friend. Why not let you know?"

Ruby stopped laughing at the mention of Weiss calling her 'friend'. She had been waiting for more than a year for Weiss to say that, but was she really her friend? Ruby suddenly teared up. It wasn't from a mood swing making her cry from happy emotion, but from the fact that Ruby could hear someone else's voice in her head saying those words.

"Are you really my friend?"

Penny.

Ruby sniffed and wiped away a tear that trickled down her cheek. Her face still had tear stains on them, fainter, but still there, and now she really looked like she was crying. Had been crying. Weiss looked at her with concern.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just remembering Penny."

"Oh. Is that all?"

"Yeah."

"Are you _completely _sure?" Weiss seemed too be suddenly asking for more, as if she suspected something. All Ruby could think of was,

_She knows! She knows! Me and Oscar are doomed! Professor Ozpin will hate me! Auugggghhhhhh!_

She was far to paranoid to think of anything else beyond that. So she stood there, wide eyed and frightened of the possibilities. Weiss only looked down, then back up with a softer look in her eyes. She was a little more serious now, or something.

"Is it Jaune?" she asked quietly. Ruby's eyes widened, and relief flooded her entire being, but so did confusion.

"What?"

"Do you...like him?"

Ruby's eyes relaxed and she smiled, putting her hand on Weiss's shoulder.

"Nah," she said, waving a hand and spitting, "I don't 'like' him the way you do. He's just my friend. I thought you of all people would know that!" She started laughing and waving her hand, putting her arm around Weiss's shoulder so that her hand was touching her other arm. For whatever reason, Ruby found it hilarious and she felt very happy. Mood swings were weird. Weiss, on the other hand, squinted and shook her head, unamused as Ruby slightly shook her while she laughed.

"Okay, Ruby, you're going to rip my sleeve or something," Weiss scorned, pulling Ruby's hands off of her shoulders, "Just...go eat or something."

Ruby rolled her eyes and giggled.

"Okay!" she said before disappearing in a burst of rose petals. Weiss pushed away at them as the crowded her face, but they disappeared soon enough. Dissolve, really. Weiss sometimes wished she had that semblance. It was bright red and had to do with roses, which Weiss found quite pretty. Most of the ones she saw were pink, red, or yellow, which were bright and _not _white. She was sick of white and light blue, which was why she liked her bright red scarf so much. Red contrasted with white, and she usually wore just a tiny bit of it, kind of like a sign of defiance against her father and their icy business and family. But she shook her head, brushed off her sleeves, and then walked back to the fire, wondering why she had even bothered telling Ruby about her newfound love. She was too young to understand romance, anyway.

"Hey, Ruby!" Nora greeted heartily as Ruby neared the fire, "How're you doing?"

Ruby smiled cheerfully and nodded.

"Great! Jaune checked in on me this morning and said I could get up if I wanted to." She smiled and sat down next to Nora on the log.

"What's for breakfast?" Ruby's stomach growled and she began to wish that she had some nice, juicy watermelon. She had been craving it for a while, actually, but had brushed it off time and time again. But now, all she could think about was jamming her mouth full of cold, juicy, sweet watermelon, imagining the watery juice dripping filling her mouth and cooling her throat, dripping down her chin and making her skin sticky...

"Wow," Nora marveled, "I never knew you though beetles were tasty." Ruby snapped back to attention.

"Huh?" she asked, setting her hands abruptly into her lap. Nora giggled and pointed to Ruby's mouth.

"You're mouth was watering when I mentioned that beetles could be poisonous and that if I were to stick one in Ren's mouth when he's sleeping, then maybe the beetle would get swallowed whole by him and then he'd turn into some sort of super-beetle-poison-animal thingy!" She finished her sentence in one breath, and had to take a deep breath afterwards. Then she smiled big and bright. Ruby looked at her, confused.

"Um...okay?" was all that she said. Nora shrugged.

"I don't know either!" she said. Then she walked over to Ren's dark green tent, which was probably one of the neatest, most up kept tents of the group, besides Weiss's. Her's was always neat and orderly, no matter how much stuff she had in there. Then Nora stuck her hand in, resulting in a startled yell from Ren, and then dragged him out by his thick, long hair, which slightly shimmered in the sunlight. It was so black and thick. Maybe he should cut it sometime.

She dropped him onto the ground and then clapped the dust off her hands, a smug grin on her face. Ren sat up and looked up at her, confused and a little annoyed. But when they met eyes, both of their faces softened and they smiled. Ruby inwardly giggled. How fun it was to see those to slowly go deeper in love with each other. It was so beautiful. But then her heart sunk a little as she remembered that her and Oscar didn't really have the freedom to outwardly show their love. It was all a deep dark secret, hidden deep inside her. Literally.

"I guess your gnarly tea worked just fine!" Nora told him, holding out her hand. When Ren took hold of it, she jerked him up way too fast, shooting him onto his feet and leaving him rubbing his wrist in slight pain. "Cuz Ruby seems a lot better to me!"

Ren nodded and pushed the hair out of his face. "That was the idea."

Nora laughed and patted his back. "You always have an idea. And this time, it actually worked!"

Ren sighed and walked to the fire, kneeling beside it and then adding to it. The flame, which was somewhat small, began to grow until it was large, warm, and bright, glowing and crackling with a cozy, campy feel. Then he stood back up and began cooking the fish he had recently caught, turning them over and over again on a metal grate that sat atop the fire. The fish's aroma made Ruby's stomach complain, but Ruby just ignored it and tried to look happy about it. Fish was good for you. And for whatever reason, Ruby's mind went back to watermelon, watermelon, watermelon. Juicy, sweet, watery, thirst quenching, fruity, cold watermelon...

* * *

**Huzzah! Ruby's morning sickness is finally subsiding! And now they can finally get going. But how is she going to hide it much longer?**

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters!**


	4. Uncle Qrow

"Aaaaaand Weiss says that she likes Jaune, even though I know that he likes me...But that's okay, because I don't like to think of Jaune as anything more than just a friend. And a very good one, at that."

Ruby sat on a thick fallen tree, dangling her feet above the clear water of the pond. Next to her sat Qrow, who was holding his flask with one hand and balancing himself on the tree with his other. He smirked at Ruby, happy to see that lively shine in her silver eyes again. So much like Summer's...

"Does he know?" Qrow asked, taking a swig from his flask. Ruby frowned and swatted at the flask. Qrow chuckled and then slid the flask away.

"Okay, okay, Kiddo," he said as he did, "But does he know? If he doesn't, it could lead to some baaaad juju if things get mixed up." Ruby raised a brow, confused.

"How would you know?" she asked. Qrow smirked, but inwardly, a tear fell.

"I've had crushes before," he said, satisfied at Ruby's reaction. She clapped her hand in front of her mouth and tried not to explode laughing. Qrow grinned and continued, "Hey, you think your Uncle Qrow doesn't know how to charm the ladies? 'Cause I've got some nifty tricks up my sleeve that are sure to lure in some hotties."

Ruby burst out laughing, almost falling off the tree as she leaned backwards.

"What?" Qrow continued, "You chicks are hard to get."

She laughed so hard she couldn't breath. Imagining Uncle Qrow with some girl was just too funny to her at the moment. And him making kissy-lips...She laughed even harder, making Qrow both smile, and raise a brow. Was it really that funny? Well, it didn't matter, because he was spending good, quality time with his niece, and that was all that mattered to him right now. He just couldn't shake off how much she looked like Summer though. Her eyes, her face, her hair color..she even had the red highlights. It was a little hard looking at Ruby sometimes, as she even had her mother's sweet tooth and some of her personality. He drove away his train of thought and went back to the present. Back to Summer Rose #2. Back to Ruby.

"But I was wondering why you always carry your flask with you," she said as Qrow began to drift his mind back to what she was saying right now.

"Huh?" Qrow asked. At Ruby's expectant silver gaze, he quickly processed her question. "Oh. Why does it matter to you? It's not like I'm carrying some illegal drug somewhere." He made a crooked grin as he pulled out his flask and shook it teasingly in her face. She giggled and pushed it away, letting him put it back.

"No, but seriously," she said, her face suddenly turning solemn, "Why _do _you keep that with you wherever you are?"

Qrow's smile faded and he locked eyes with Ruby; maroon with silver. He looked down, thought for a moment, and then sighed.

"You know why," he said, keeping his head down and gazing at her, "I'm not exactly a wanted person, especially to those who know me. My own sister wants me dead, and the one person who told me I was actually worth something is a cowardly liar. Me and Raven didn't have the best childhood, either." He looked down and stared at his flask, tracing the silver lining with his gaze. Ruby smirked and scooted herself closer to him, her red cape training behind her and swinging in the slight breeze.

"You're wanted by me," Ruby offered, snuggling into a small side hug with him. Qrow's eyes widened a moment as Ruby did that, and his straight mouth slanted into a smile. He put his arm around Ruby and scooted here even closer to him, holding her there with him. She was so warm, so bright. Such a wonderful little light in his dark, shadowy life. He smiled and closed his eyes, leaning his head against hers, which was already leaning against his broad shoulder.

The two sat there, a gentle, cool breeze passing by and stirring their hair and clothes and rustling the leaves of the trees all around them. The birds tweeted and sang their lovely birdsong, the stream trickled in its small current to the pond, the sunlight shed itself onto the area where they sat, and the shadows of the trees cast themselves where the sunshine wasn't. The evening couldn't be better.

For one moment, as he sat there with Ruby, he imagined he was sitting with Summer, in the same place at the same time. As if their team had never broken apart; as if she had never died; as if Beacon hadn't fell and Ozpin hadn't betrayed him at the worst possible time. He let all those horrible memories drift away in the sweet bliss of this precious moment, and he focused on only the present and on Summer. She slowly looked up at him with her gorgeous silver eyes and smiled softly, love and admiration in her eyes. It seemed as if the whole world around them was somehow hazy and almost blurred. Misty with a slight glow to everything, as if he was in a dream. And Summer looked sweeter than ever.

She slid her hand over and placed it gently on top of his. Qrow, slightly surprised, but masking that emotion, smiled and slid his hand into hers. Then the two of them sat there, hands held and head on shoulder. It was all so romantic and perfect. As if Salem and the Grimm had never existed. As if it was just him and her.

"Uncle Qrow?!" Ruby shrieked. Qrow's eyes flashed open and the whole image of Summer and their wonderful world shattered before him. And then he realized that he was falling. It was a brief, confusing moment, and then he realized that he was submersed in cold water. He opened his eyes and saw only blurry water and some bubbles that floated past his vision. Yelling what he would have _before _landing in the water and letting out a cloud of bubbles from his mouth, he swam up as fast as he could, surprised when his head broke through the water's surface only a moment after he boosted himself up. He looked around himself, treading water, and found that he was swimming in the pond, and Ruby's feet were dangling only a foot in front of him. She was sitting on the fallen tree _above _him, and he was in the pond _below _her.

Ruby's face was a mixture of surprised, confused, and amused. She took one look at him, held her hand in front of her mouth, and then burst out laughing.

_Like you always do, _Qrow inwardly mumbled as he swam forwards and hoisted himself back on the tree, soaking wet and dripping water into the pond. Ruby giggled and held her stomach as she laughed, trying to breath and trying to reduce the pain in her side from laughing. Qrow rolled his eyes and grunted, but his look softened as he saw how happy Ruby was. He smiled and shook his head.

"You have no _idea _how hilarious you looked!" she shouted, taking a break from laughing and pointed at him, "What happened?! We were just sitting there and then you fell off with a stupid look on your face!" She continued her laughing fit and Qrow raised a brow. What _did _happen? Had he fallen asleep? There was a pretty good chance he had. Sleep had been getting a little hard to catch up on, Ruby having been sick and all suspicious, and Oscar looking more and more worn everyday. And then there was his constant paranoia of Raven or Salem or something coming for him and the group all night, keeping him on alert for hours upon end. He just sighed and nodded his head.

"Yeah, I fell asleep," he said, resulting in a curious glance from Ruby, "I've been up at night standing vigil, you know."

Ruby nodded. "Uh huh."

Her small voice, despite the fact that in a few months she would be 17, was still so high and young sounding. And yet, in some way, it suited her just fine. Sure, it made her seem younger and cuter than she actually was, but it still suited her and made her...Ruby. Qrow yawned and took out his flask, knowing that a good swig of liquor would keep him awake and alert. The burning liquid was so casual to him, and yet, its effects were endless. Ruby just frowned and ignored it.

Even though she was nervous about being around people, fearing that somehow, even though it was impossible to tell from looking at her that she was pregnant, she knew she would have to act normal, or they _would _get clues. Somehow, despite the fact that Ruby most feared what Qrow would do if he found out, she also felt like he was one of the only people she could really be with right now. She loved him so much, and sometimes, he felt like a father to her when she was away from Tai. Speaking of which, she missed Tai right now. The last time she had seen him, she had left several months ago to get to Haven Academy. That had resulted in a bad belly flop.

"Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked slowly. Qrow turned his head and looked at her with that soft, almost fatherly look. Ruby hesitated a moment, wondering if she should carry through with her planned sentence or simply say something else.

_It could make him think I'm hiding something. He'll think that I'm just cushioning my punishment when the time comes. He'll start watching me more closely and then he'll find out and kill Oscar. Then he'll tell Dad and I'm gonna be rejected and condemned forever. _

"What is it, Kiddo?" he asked. Ruby looked down for a moment and then back up, wishing she wouldn't hesitate so much. Of course, that meant she would hesitate more, and then she would only be hesitating.

_Back to the point!_

"Uncle Qrow," she began, "If I did...say, _anything, _would you not get mad at me, whatever it is?" She looked hopefully at him. He raised a brow.

"You need to be more specific, or I can't really say," he said, resting his hand on his knee. Ruby rolled her eyes.

_Of course. Hey Uncle Qrow?! I'm pregnant with Oscar's baby!_

"I'll just say...something that most people wouldn't be very proud of me for."

"Like?"

"Uh...something that literally almost _everyone _in Remnant would be unhappy about. Not me in particular, but like, anyone...who did what I did."

"What did you do, Ruby?" There was an exasperation in his voice, and at the same time, almost a little fear. But not exactly fear, but more like some sort of eagerness to learn what awaited him. He closed his eyes and leaned back some, careful not to fall off again. Ruby looked down, slightly panicked, then back up at Qrow, scanning his face. She was always afraid of how he might react if she gave away even the _slightest _clues of the truth. But she was only 16, and Uncle Qrow knew that his little Short Stack was just an innocent little girl. Not some horrible, naughty teenager who snacked on men.

"Well, I-" she stopped and racked her mind for something else to say. That, or a better way to ensure her safety once the truth was revealed. "I-I uh...Let's just say...I stole something important. But it's okay now!"

She winced at her own feeble lie. It wasn't _that _bad, exactly. But it wasn't very good. She inwardly facepalmed, but outwardly looked ashamed, which didn't use too much masking. She was ashamed. Ashamed of lying to her uncle and ashamed of what she and Oscar had done.

Meanwhile, in Qrow's perspective, he was confused, worried, and a little upset. Ruby was withholding something from him that didn't look like it would or had turned out pretty. Not just that, but it made him feel like she was betraying his trust and that she didn't trust him.

_Didn't exactly work for me when I did that. And I'm starting to think that I should tell you something that's probably a good lot worse than what you've got to pour out to me. _

"Ruby," he said quietly, lifting a hand gently to her face. She was looking down, partially turned away. He carefully lifted her face and turned it towards his, a little surprised when it came back with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her silver eyes glistened with tears and her heart wrenching face expression broke his heart. His eyes widened a bit, surprised and filled with immediate concern. Was she okay? Was she secretly injured or something? Had someone hurt her emotionally or did something life scarring?

"Ruby?" He was a little afraid of what she might say and he hoped he wasn't making things worse by asking or prompting her to answer the question that itched for an answer. And by far, he hoped that she wouldn't be afraid of telling him the truth. That would be terrible! He loved her dearly, and hoped in his heart that she felt the same.

"Ruby, if there's something you're afraid to tell me, you don't have to hesitate to-"

His words had a foreign tone to them that almost nobody who had veer heard him speak before had, and he was cut off from his words as Ruby suddenly leaped into his arms into a tight hug. She suddenly began to weep into his shoulder, wetting it immediately. Qrow embraced her the moment she did him, and he quickly balanced the two of them on the branch as she clung to him, sobbing. Sobbing into peoples' shoulders was no longer a new thing for Ruby. She had begun to do it more after the Fall of Beacon, and now she was doing it a whole lot more. With help from her mood swings, all of the concern that her friends and family had for her was making her emotional train go at high speed, and suddenly bursting into tears and crying into their shoulders wasn't very new anymore. At least for doing that, anyway.

Qrow gently pet her hair and held her tight, hoping she would settle down and confess whatever it was she was going to confess. It hurt him when people didn't tell him the truth when he should know it; whether it was important to the safety of Remnant or if it was with family. And Ruby was one of the only actual family he had left. Raven meant nearly nothing to him now, at least with how she treated him and her wish for him to be dead. His parents were gone. Summer was gone. Yang was there, too, but Ruby was something else. His own flesh and blood. More than Yang. But nobody else but him and maybe Raven knew that. He wasn't even entirely sure if Raven knew. But she probably did. She knew everything.

"Ruby," he said slowly pulling her from their hug and brushing the tears from her teary eyes, "If you really don't want me to know, then don't tell me. But as a man who has faced reject and loss time and time again, I'll let you know: Trust from the people dearest to me is more valuable than gold to me."

He saw more tears run down her face, and a pained look when across her face.

_Oh, c'mon. Don't take that as some sort of insult. I know you trust me._

"I-I-I'm sorry, Uncle Qrow," she choked, taking deep breaths and sniffing as she calmed herself, "I-I'm so sorry. I just-just...don't know if _anyone _could forgive me for this." She shed more tears and looked down. She was partially limp, Qrow holding her up some as they remained in a half-hug on the fallen tree's trunk. Qrow's look softened even more and he smiled a little.

"I'll forgive you this time, Kiddo," he said with a gentle smirk, "It can't be worse than stealing the whole cookie jar and blaming it on your mom." Ruby returned it with a weak smile, which faded shortly after. Boy, was she in the dumps! It must be really bad, then, if she couldn't give into a little Bad Times Humor from Uncle Qrow.

"I-I don't think I can tell you," she sniffed, wiping her face with her sleeve, "But I know you'll know someday. And when you do, just know that we-I have everything under control and that it's all okay. I'm gonna-I _will _make it all better. It'll be fine. I'm just not ready to tell you yet."

_Why not tell him? You already blew it with Yang in her softest, most love-filled moment. You can't mess things up with Uncle Qrow, especially not now. This is the perfect time, Ruby! Don't be such a scaredy-cat! Just tell Uncle Qrow __already! He loves you and you love him and it'll be better if you tell him!_

But she ignored every voice that screamed for her to confess the truth. This was different from stealing something or messing something up, like a setup or something. This was permanent, something she couldn't just swipe away. Of course, she technically could, but that option had been closed off from her brain almost the day she found out that she was going to have Oscar's baby. They would raise this little life together, no matter how hard. It was her fault, and she would pay the price. Babies were cute, though, and so cuddly! So, that wasn't _so _bad...maybe.

Qrow inwardly groaned. Loudly, too. But he simply nodded his head and sighed. He understood. Many a time he had almost told Tai about Ruby. That she wasn't Tai's child, but his, and failed every time. He felt like a coward for that, but he always condemned himself for every possible thing that someone could be condemned for, so that was just one in a million things he felt that way for. This was just on the top of that cursed pile.

"Alright, then," he said, scooting back into his original sitting position with his leg bended so that his knee was up and his hand was resting on it. Ruby also resorted to her original sitting pose, with her legs dangling off the trunk and her bright red cape trailing behind her. He stared up at the sky, the tops of the trees silhouetted against the orange and red sky, colored by the newly setting sun. A few small bird flew quickly from one tree to another until they were out of sight. A small wondering thought about how he had done that himself as a crow before drifted through his head and slowly left, almost as quickly as it had come.

Ruby also gazed at the sky, only, she had mostly sad and panicked thoughts racing through her head. She stole a few glances at Qrow, wondering what he was thinking. Was he worried? Angry? Curious? Sad? Betrayed? She always felt like she would never truly know his thoughts, but she was sure he was thinking about what she may have possibly done. If almost anybody in Remnant would condemn her for something, what she had done was right in that list. But perhaps her face didn't match that option. At least she hoped so.

The two of them sat there, watching the sun slowly set until the sky was nearly dark, the stars were beginning to show, and the crickets were starting to chirp. The moon was also present, glowing and shattered. Ruby almost felt smug that she now knew why it looked that way. The god of darkness had shot a beam that had shattered the moon and sent parts of it back down as flaming rocks, destroying and killing humanity. Except for a few people, of course, one of which was Salem. What an interesting story that had been. Pretty neat to experience it in person, too.

When the sky was filled with glittering starts and the day had completely faded, Qrow finally spoke.

"It's late," he said, "We should get back to the others."

Unfortunately, his raspy, sudden voice had startled her, causing her to jump and give a little "Eep!". She nearly fell backwards, and lost her balance, just about to fall forwards into the cold water of the pond below her. But Qrow had quick huntsmen reflexes, and he shot out his hand and grabbed her arm in time, leaving her dangling just above the water. It was too dark to see either of them clearly, but she could just see a look of relief in Qrow's eyes. Just barely. He hoisted her back up onto the branch, letting her take it from there once she was laying on her belly. But Ruby stayed on her belly a little longer.

_Maybe she's just catching her breath._

But she wasn't catching her breath. As soon as she had been laid there on her belly, she noticed something. The trunk didn't just squish into her belly like it normally would if she wasn't tensed. It hardly squished at all, but stopped as if she _was _tensed. But she wasn't. And Ruby could tell that it was her baby. Her baby was growing. She was starting to show, and she was only a little past 3 months! Panic began to run through her, making her _actually _tense. Why was she showing already?! Was she okay? Was the baby okay? Was her baby going to be huge, or was there something weird with it?

"You okay, Short Stack?" Qrow asked, a little concerned. Ruby snapped out of her partial trance and quickly swung back into a sitting position. She panted a bit and nodded her head vigorously.

"Yeah! Just a little winded and surprised!" she answered briefly, "It _is _late...so we should probably get back to the group. Goodnight!"

And she quickly stood up and carefully crossed to the other side of the trunk and onto the bank of the pond. Qrow looked exasperatedly at her and sighed with a nod.

"Goodnight, Kiddo," he said quietly. And with that, Ruby disappeared into the trees, leaving Qrow sitting on the tree trunk alone. It was dark, chilly, and very quiet. He wondered briefly to himself if Ruby's hesitance was caused by his Semblance, but quickly threw it off. His kind of misfortune didn't mess with the way people thought or felt. It just sometimes crossed those things with the wrong times and places.

_Lovely._

He felt lonely and a little betrayed. He missed Summer and he wished Ruby would hesitate so much with whatever the issue was. But whatever that issue was, Ruby had, in a way, promised him that he'd know sometime, and that it would be alright.

"And if it isn't," Qrow mumbled to himself as he started down at the moon's shimmering reflection on the water, "Then I'm gonna be upset."

* * *

**Yeah, this chapter is pretty much something I really wanna see something like in Volume 7 or 8 or ****something. I dunno...but I really like the theory that Qrow is Ruby's real father, so I'm applying it in this story. Thanks for reading!**

**Poor Qrow and Yang. Ruby's been withholding the truth from them when the moments seems best to confess. Who knows when she will tell them? Or will she ever before they find out themselves?**


	5. Loosing Hope

Ruby sat in her tent, tensed and alone. Her heart was thumping in her chest and she could almost hear it as she sat there, panting. She had run the entire way back to her tent after having noticed that her baby bump might have started to appear and now sat panting in her tent. If Qrow had noticed, she didn't know what she was going to do. And not just that, but she was only a little past 3 months through. Didn't most baby bumps come in around 4 months? Maybe she didn't know anything. She was, after all, the youngest in her family.

With shaking hands, she slowly pulled out the small mirror that Weiss had allowed her to borrow. It was about the size of a large book and just light enough to be carried around with ease, and could also be hung on walls and such. She placed it on the little foldable nightstand she set up by her sleeping bag and then stood back, making sure her belly was clear in the reflection.

"And now the moment of truth," she sighed, her heart threatening to pound out of her chest. With trembling fingers, she reached the bottom of her shirt and slowly, very slowly, lifted it up, revealing her bare stomach. And indeed, there was a small bump where her normally flat belly was. Ruby felt a horrible prickling sensation go down her back and through her arms and legs as soon as she laid eyes on the little swollen spot.

_There is a _child _in there! A real live baby curled up in my _stomach_! _

The next thing Ruby unconsciously did was carefully extend her hands from her shirt and slowly rub her hands all over the spot. It was firm and warm, unlike how her skin normally felt. Usually it could be easily squished in a tiny bit, (she was really quite trim). It was a real baby bump, unlike the fake ones her and Yang had constantly tried to make from clothes and blankets to attempt to fool Tai. They had done it so many times, first using play balls that were way to large, and then wising up and bundling clothes with blankets. Her and Yang had so much fun doing that, even though it never worked on Tai. He had seen pregnant women before, and they did _not _look like that. He would simply laugh and tell them to stop doing it, which never happened until they started combat training and left him with a nearly empty house for hours a day.

Ruby smiled faintly as she remembered those fun times she had with Yang in their childhood. But then a sudden thought ran through her head, fading her smile away. Yang was her half sister and loved her dearly, but what would she do once she found out the truth? And after Ruby hadn't told her once she had gotten the chance when they were in private? Surely she would be angry. And an angry Yang with suspicion towards Ozpin would get her and Oscar separated forever. Or maybe even separated from the whole group...

"No, Yang wouldn't do that," Ruby argued to herself, turned away from the mirror and pulling her shirt down again, "She said she would forgive me no matter what I did." She pulled at her hair and began pacing her tent in circles, becoming a little more frantic with each word. "She said that she and the others would understand! You know, because true friends understand, right? And Yang and the others _are _my best friends, so they'll understand." Tears began to form in her eyes and her voice began to shake with emotion.

"And Jaune won't get super mad and take it all out on Oscar like he did in Argus. He'll forgive me-us!" But as she imagined Jaune's kind, handsome face with a betrayed look, all she could do was burst into tears and bury her face in her hands. "Even though he loves you and had your trust since Beacon!" She fell to her knees and sat there, sobbing into her hands and thinking over and over again how foolish she was and how horrible of a person she was now. Why had she done that? Why hadn't she just decided to go to _normal _sleep, cuddled up with Oscar, or whatever. That would've been nice and warm, right? But whatever the thought, what was done was done, and there was no turning back. She couldn't fix this and it was going to be this way. She lay down on her stomach and continued to cry, drowning in an ocean she felt she couldn't cross.

Meanwhile, Oscar stood in the woods, walking back from his late night training. It was far earlier than when he normally finished his training, and the sun had set only half an hour or so ago. It was still night and he had still been training since 2:00 in the afternoon, but it was still a treat to him that he could go to bed this early. It was probably only around 9:00 right now, rather than midnight. The moon looked beautiful tonight, at he wondered for a moment why it was shattered. But he immediately remembered what Jinn had told all of them about the god of darkness and such.

"I wasn't even alive at the time," he mumbled as he continued on his way back to camp.

**"It would appear so," **Ozpin said from deep inside Oscar's mind, **"But you and I both remember that event as if we were present there ourselves."**

Oscar nodded his head slowly and ducked under a large branch in his way. "Gee, I wonder why." He could barely hear a chuckle from Ozpin as he continued walking. He smirked a little and looked upward as if trying to see inside his head. Even though Ozpin was inside of him, he felt as if he were above him, even though he clearly knew that he wasn't. Oscar had grown to become friends with Ozpin as they talked often in the night. Even if it was about all the crazy saving-Remnant type of stuff. He walked on without saying anything, just focusing on the path he was following. But Ozpin spoke up again, as if he had been thinking before.

**"Oscar, I do hope that you don't think of me as some distant spirit, or a harsh teacher forced to control you without your consent."**

Oscar raised a brow, thought for a moment, and then sighed.

"Well...I did at first," he confessed, "But...well, after time when on and I met all of these amazing people that you know-er..._knew_, and after you and I talked for a while, I started to see you more as a...a friend, you know?" He smiled as he said those last words. He could just imagine Ozpin smiling, even though he didn't have a super clear picture of what he looked like. After inheriting most of Ozpin's memories and such, he had memories of looking in mirrors and seeing pictures and such, giving him a decent picture of what Ozpin looked like. But not as clearly as one could see another in plain sight. It was good enough, though.

**"That relieves me, Oscar," **Ozpin said, his voice portraying his sentence, **"Are you aware of that?"**

Oscar nodded his head slowly, thinking about it for a moment. Yes, of course it relieved Ozpin. It would relieve anyone, really. "Yeah."

**"Good. Of course, I do not desire for my reincarnation partner to be annoyed with me or find me difficult to bond with. I myself wouldn't want someone with that likeness in my mind, constantly talking to me." **

Oscar nodded. "Did the reincarnation before you act like that?"

**"Not in the slightest. He was actually a very pleasant, kind man with a heart for family and people. He had to lecture me in a way very similar that I did you, but he was careful and wise to keep my trust in the ways that he taught me. Although, in a way, I am Ozma. When a reincarnation is ****fully finished, the personality and nearly the entire being of the original entity, Ozma, will merge with the body he is in. And that is what happened to me."**

Oscar's eyes widened. "Wait, what?! I'm not going to be myself for very long? You-er, Ozma, is going to be me now?"

**"Oscar, we discussed this for the duration of the time you had ran away after Mr. Arc had accused you of being me. You know that some trace amounts of your own personality will remain with you, or rather us, as we finish merging to the fullest."**

"I know, I know, but now it just sounds even worse! And I don't even get to agree or anything. Can't I decide wheather or not I become you?"

**"I'm afraid not. It is all part of the process. And you should remember how we didn't decide to reincarnate."**

"I know...but it still doesn't feel fair. I feel so much like I should have the choice to stay "Me" for at least the longest time of my life, not just have it swiped away from history while I'm only 17 years old! And _technically, _it's still like I'm 15. My physical body aged, but I didn't age mentally. It's just...so unfair!"

**"Oscar, I don't want to argue with you. But please know that I wish it to be different as well. But it isn't and what is done is done, and we must do the absolute foremost preeminent job we can do."**

Oscar nodded his head and sighed. He felt exasperated, at at the same time like he could deal with this just fine. It would be alright. Ruby loved him, and him her. She had told him that and he hand made that abundantly clear to her only a few days ago.

"Do you think it'll be okay?" Oscar asked the voice in his head. He was a little nervous about what Ozpin would say. Even though he had been in his head for more than a year, it was still a little hard to predict what this old professor would say.

**"I think it is doable. But I can't assure you that it will be simple to perform. It will take more than blenching and isolating the truth to have things remain uncomplicated."**

Oscar sighed, but nodded. The faint glow of the campfire nearby, hidden by the many bushes, vines, and trees, announced his arrival. He breathed a sigh of relief and brushed away a branch that hovered in front of his face. He looked upward again, as if Ozpin were in the sky rather than his head, and smiled softly. "Funny thing, even though these talks always keep me up thinking at night and leave me confused about all of..." He though for a moment and waved his arms around to try to convey his point, even though nobody could actually see it. "This.., it made me realize that you-this soul combined with mine-are the ears who listen to all the crazy thing I have to spout off. All of the confusion and craziness of myself is always listened to by you. I don't think anyone else would really care to listen to any of my garbage. But you...you _do_."

There was a moment of silence as Oscar slowly made his way through the thick foliage, as if Ozpin was poring over the words Oscar had just said. Then he spoke up, a gentle, touched tone to his voice.

**"Thank you, Oscar. I never told my former reincarnate anything near to what you, a recently 15 year old, have just said to me. It took me far too long to realize what he had provided for me and done. I spent too much time thinking about how 'unfair' it was that I had been placed in my position. And once I did, I had finally merged with him."**

Oscar felt moved by this, even though it was Ozpin _thanking _him. That was new. But whatever the case, he still felt touched, and wanted all the more to stand face to face with the man in his head. He opened his mouth to say something more, another thank you, another...thing to make it clear how much he was trying to understand and cooperate, but just before the words left his mouth, he realized that he was standing in front of the glowing, crackling fire, about to step right into the hot embers. He stopped just in time, glad that the nice warmth, loud crackling, and bright light had caught his attention. He sighed and nodded to nobody.

**"I'm going to leave you for a while."**

"Wait, what?" Oscar said out loud, confused and surprised.

**"It is best for you that I go for now. Not permanently, but only temporarily. You have so much more to go through, and a break in your training would be almost necessary, nearly mandatory. Your current physical status is not the healthiest, and you should get some rest. Regain some strength and make things right."**

"Wait, but I-" Oscar began franticly, but he froze as the familiar feeling of the looming presence in his head seemed to simply seep into the center of his head and remain there, invisible. He sighed and hung his head, feeling suddenly alone. He looked up slowly and glanced around at the tents circling the general area he was in. They were all dark on the inside, indicating that they were all sleeping. It was a little late, anyway. But one tent caught his attention. One tent had its light still on, and their body was silhouetted against the light, showing that they were still awake and doing something.

_Ruby!_

Oscar slowly approaced her tent, curious and slightly concerned as to why she was still up. Usually, she would be plum tuckered out by the end of the day and she would fall asleep a minute after she lay down. Their baby was taking its toll on her young body, and she would get tired out easily. Fortunately, there hadn't been much Grimm activity in their area lately, and there hadn't been much need for combat. But she would still get tired from the whole day's events, and retired to her tent as soon as unsuspiciously as possible, usually when someone else decided to go to bed.

The first thing Oscar saw when he slowly pealed back the tent was Ruby, sitting on her knees and wearing some rather appealing pajamas. Well, if you could call them pajamas. She wore a tight black tank top, tight black leggings, and her hood. Her hood wasn't on her though, but wrapped _around _her, like a blanket. She was snuggling with it as if it were a stuffed animal or something. Oscar's eyes went directly to her shapely, sculpted form, but he quickly jerked his gaze back up to her face only a moment after. Her beautiful, innocent face that he loved so much. He smiled softly as he stared into those perfect, silver eyes, reminding him so much of Summer. Of course, he hadn't known her, but Ozpin had, and his memories flooded to his mind the moment he recognized them.

Ruby didn't seem to notice as the tent folds pealed back and Oscar appeared. She was far too busy inwardly talking to her mother, imagining she were right there with her. The soft red hood wrapped around her only reminded her of her mother more and more as she ventured farther from home with her team and her friends. Like Summer, Ruby loved adventures, and this was definitely an adventure. She also had her mother's sweet tooth, of course, as she deeply indulged in cookies. Most cookies she ate also reminded her of her mother's cookies, which were the richest, sweetest, best cookies in all of Remnant.

"Ruby?" Oscar asked gently, taking a step closer as he held the tent fold up. A small glowing firefly entered through the opening and then flew back out. Ruby also wasn't startled by his sudden talking, either, which was strange. She always got freaked out during sudden things or jump scares. She instead simply rolled over and yawned, pausing her silent conversation with her mother and turned to face Oscar. She looked at his large, hazel eyes and yawned again. She was tired and pretty careless right now, not really careing about most things at the moment. After finding out about her small baby bump, she had lingered in her tent, doing whatever until sleep overtook her and forced her to her sleeping bag. She had decided to talk to Summer by then, and that led up to now. In a sleepy haze she tried to keep eye contact with him, but found her vision wondering. She shook her head and cleared her throat, kicking a little awareness into her head. Not enough, though, to make most of the things she said sound serious.

"I'm showing," she said somewhat casually, rolling over again and stretching. Her hood undraped around her, now laying on the floor like a blanket. Oscar's eyes widened and he froze. A wave of confusion flooded his brain and mingled with all sense of logic and common sense, leaving him dazed. She wasn't suppose to show yet, was she?

"What?!" Oscar almost shouted after coming back to himself. Ruby pressed her finger to her lips and hissed for him to be quiet.

"Shhhh! You'll wake the whole camp!" she spat, more angry than leisurely now. Her mood swings woke her quite well. Oscar nodded slowly and held his hands up for peace, not wanting to anger her.

"Sorry," he apologize, "But what do you mean 'you're showing'?!" He looked as exasperated as he had back in Mistral, when he and Ruby had been talking about courage and moving forward, only, not so poor and innocent. Ruby sighed and closed her eyes.

"There's a bump there," she answered, sitting up straight. Her short, black and red hair fell messily around her face and she did nothing to brush it from her vision. "A swollen spot and some sort of...roundness or something. Like, a total reminder that I'm pregnant." She sighed and nodded her head slowly. Oscar took a little while to digest that, and then he looked like he was about to explode. His whole body tensed, his fist clenched, and his eyes squeezed shut, his teeth bared. But then he relaxed and his fact softened.

"Can I see?" he asked quietly, kneeling beside her, closing the tent behind him. Ruby nodded and slowly lifted her tank top up, revealing the bump. Although it wasn't _too _noticeable, it was still visible with the tank top on, and it was most defiantly not fat. It was for sure the baby. There was some sort of rounded shape about her midsection, and its surface was somewhat swollen. Oscar felt a dull feeling of prickly shock, but mostly he only felt some sort of exasperation. He knew this was going to happen, just not so soon.

He gently touched her stomach, a little surprised that it was firm. He knew it wasn't suppose to be squishy or anything, but somehow he had imagined it like that. He glanced up at Ruby, wondering what she was thinking about him right now. She was staring thoughtful down at her bump, at Oscar's hand, with a soft look on her face. Oscar looked back down at the spot and slowly extended his fingers out until his full hand was spread out on her belly, feeling his baby. And suddenly, amidst the awkwardness of the situation and the panic that was slowly coming and going at the moment, he felt something else. A warm, gentle feeling of love, not just towards Ruby, but towards his child. _Their _child. And then he felt some sort of sympithy for the poor little life, wishing he hadn't complained so much about it before. He wanted it now, for some reason, just from touching the spot where it was growing.

"Ruby," Oscar said softly, rubbing her belly a little, "Do you feel that?"

Ruby looked up at him, confused. "I don't think it's big enough to move around and stuff yet."

"No, I meant...something warm and fuzzy..."

"Um...could you be a little more specific?"

"Like, a feeling of...I dunno, love? Like you just want to-to hold the baby or do whatever it takes to protect it or something?"

Ruby gave him a blank stare, then a soft look of understandment.

"Yeah. I mean, that was a little _too _specific, and not really what I was thinking, but yeah. Sort of."

"I do."

"Do you?"

"Yes. And now, more than ever, I wish...I mean, _hope_, that you do too."

"I guess I do."

Oscar looked slowly down at Ruby, concern in his eyes. He looked almost hurt, or rather, like she had hurt someone else. Ruby drew slightly back, confused, and raised a brow. What was the matter?

"What?" she asked tentatively. Oscar sighed and looked away. He suddenly realized what was happening. Ruby was the one carrying the baby. She was living proof that she was to blame for this baby. And nearly everyone outside right now were her closets friends, unlike him. He was still a little new to the group, and nobody really like Ozpin right now, which, for some reason, counted as Oscar himself. Ruby was still afraid of the others, and Oscar...well, Oscar wasn't too afraid of being rejected because he was already pretty rejected. You can't hurt someone with something they're callused to.

"Nothing," he sighed, closing his eyes and taking his hand off of her belly, "I-I'm just tired. I should probably get back to my tent before someone else sees us." He yawned and shook his head. Ruby sighed and nodded. Grabbing her bright red cloak, she wrapped it back around herself snugly and yawned too. Oscar slowly stood up and stretched a little before taking a step towards her tent's exit. But before he could open it, Ruby stood up as well, the hood falling from her shoulders and onto the floor. She grabbed his hand and pulled at him to stop. He turned around, surprised, and gave her a questioning look.

"Wait," she said, tears brimming her eyes, "I-I love you."

Oscar's eyes widened a little and he nodded. "I love you too."

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps outside made both of them freeze in cold fear. They were near, and from the dim light of the fire, they could barely see two shadows of people walking towards her tent. None of them could move, but stood there, paralyzed as the people came closer. They could just hear a girl's voice mumble, "Do you think they're alright?"

Nora. And someone else? Ren's deeper voice answered her higher one, adding to Ruby's fear. They came closer and closer until they were literally standing right in front of the tent. Nora knocked hard on the metal tent pole.

"Knock, knock!" she said cheerfully, a little too loud.

"Nora," Ren chided, "Please don't talk too loud. The others are trying to sleep."

"I know, silly, but Ruby and Oscar aren't, so there!" Ruby could see Nora cross her arms across her chest. Ren shook his head and sighed.

"Ruby," Ren said in a slightly hushed tone, "Are you in there?"

_Of course I am. Isn't it obvious?_

"Yeah?" Ruby answered innocently, "What's up?"

"Are you okay in there?" Nora asked, "Cuz you seem pretty depressed. I could hear you and you sound _blue_!"

Ruby glanced at Oscar with a look of panic. "What should I do?!" she hissed. Oscar waved his arms at her and gave her a helpless look.

"And is that Oscar with you?" Ren asked, his hands folded behind his back. Oscar facepalmed.

"Yeah," he answered, "Just helping Ruby with her...um ..." He looked at her with a hopeful expression. Ruby looked around franticly for a reason, an excuse, but could find none. Her folded up scythe in the corner caught her attention. She pointed wildly at it, Oscar nodded while trying to answer.

"With her scythe! Yeah! She said it had some sort of...you know, Ozpin-related thing that only I could provide, or...something." He shook his head and silently groaned. Ruby tried not to giggle. It was kind of funny to see him like this, but this was serious. She couldn't let Nora of all people find out. She would tell everybody, and then she and Oscar would be so doomed. Doomed to destruction.

"Like what?" Nora pipped, eager to know.

"Something with silver eyes!" Oscar blurted, smacking his face with his elbow immediately after. What kind of excuse was that?!

"Wow, Ruby!" Nora praised, "Crescent Rose really is pretty complicated!"

"Yeah, she really is!" Ruby called back, feeling more and more afraid. This was totally not cutting it. Nora and Ren exchanged glances.

"Ruby," Ren said, nervously reaching out to open her tent, "I'm going to need to come in. This isn't exactly...reasonable."

Ruby and Oscar whipped around and looked at each other, both eyes wide and frantic. Oscar took imeediate action and reached out his hands, almost stopping the tent folds from opening. But he was too late. He crashed into Ren, knocking them both over and leaving the tent wide open, Nora staring in at Ruby.

"No!" Ruby shrieked, snatching her hood from the floor and wrapping it around herself. She could _not _let Nora see her like this. The tank top was tight, and Nora would see her little baby bump and tell everyone. _Everyone_! Nora looked at her, confused, then her blue eyes widened and she gasped. Ruby squeezed her eyes shut, knowing what was going to happen next. Nora had seen it, hadn't she? It was all over. Her and Oscar would be doomed to destruction. Literally.

"Ruby!" Nora scolded, "If you aren't dress appropriately, then Oscar shouldn't be in there! Were you two being naughty?!" Nora closed one her eyes and left one open, staring accusingly at her friend. Ruby literally sighed aloud with relief, feeling almost like she was going to pass out just from relief. Nora hadn't seen it! Ruby opened her eyes and looked hard at Nora.

"No! No!" she quickly defended, "Nothing like that! I'm wearing a tank top, is all." She slowly lowered a hood a little and rested it on her thighs, still covering her belly. Nora raised a brow.

"Then how come you covered yourself up all suddenly like that?" she asked suspiciously. Ruby giggled.

"Cuz I'm not used to showing so much of my...shape to people," she said, "And that's my immediate reflex. I just cover myself up with something. And Oscar was in here helping me with my scythe, and I needed to help him, so I unwrapped myself from my hood so I could move around better."

Nora kept a brow raised, but slowly nodded her head, her face suspicious. Ruby swallowed and held her breath, a smile frozen on her face. A hissing argument between Oscar and Ren could be heard behind them, and Nora and Ruby giggled. Bu then Nora's face became a little more serious.

"Why did Oscar jump out like that?" she asked. Ruby laughed nervously.

"He didn't want you to suspect what you just did," she answered, trying to sound light hearted. Her heart was heavy and beating hard right now. Nora shrugged.

"Sounds reasonable," she murmured, "Me and Ren just came back from late night crab fishing!" She smiled and gestured towards a wet bag dripping with water by her feet. "We have a bunch of crabs in there. It took us _all _day!" She smiled proudly at her work and nodded. "We should get to bed now. It's kinda late, so...yeah!" She skipped out and grabbed Ren by his collar, dragging him behind her as she skipped away.

"Hey!" Ren said, trying to get to his feet as his white pants started to get soiled from the dirt he was being dragged on, "Let go of me please!"

Oscar and Ruby watched with wary eyes as the two of them split up and went into their tents, waiting for it to be quiet again. Then they looked at each other, slipped back into the tent, and then began laughing. Both heads in her thick sleeping bag, they tried not to laugh too loud, but knew that someone probably heard them.

"Why are we laughing?!" Ruby squeaked, rubbing her tired eyes, wet with tears.

"I don't know!" Oscar answered, also rubbing his eyes.

"This is serious!" Ruby squeaked again, stretching and rubbing her eyes more. Oscar just nodded with a chuckled and ran his fingers though his fuzzy brown hair. But his cheery look suddenly faded and some sort of dimness seemed to glaze his eyes. Ruby looked up at him, suddenly concerned.

"Are you all right?" she asked him, brushing some hair from his face. He nodded slowly and yawned.

"I'm just...really tired," he answered, his voice thick. Ruby's eyes widened.

"Not the Apathies!" she said with mock seriousness. Oscar just smiled faintly and looked down again.

"I should probably go. I need some sleep."

"But...okay."

"Ozpin said it was kind of necessary or something. I think it's all gaining up on me now."

"Okay...sleep well. And don't be suspicious tomorrow!"

Oscar nodded sleepily and stood slowly up. As he started walking away, his feet dragged on the floor as he left, and he looked ready to collapse at any moment. He was so exhausted and tired that he barely realized the familiar feeling of that presence in his head returning. Ruby smiled lightly at him, hoping he was alright. He did not look very well right now, and it worried her. Was he suddenly sick or something? What if he was super sick? Suddenly, Oscar turned around, his face even more ill-looking then before. Ruby scooted back a bit, surprised, but then peeped as Oscar's eyes suddenly flashed green and gold, and the knowing look of the professor returned.

"This is only the first part of your oncoming troubles," he said, dead serious, "Do not take any of this lightly, or it will collapse down hard on you before you have the chance to flee."

Ruby swallowed nervously. Ozpin continued.

"Because of the route you have decided to take, you will experience hardships like none other you have recently just gone through. Knowing that you will likely never turn back until it is too late, I can only wish you the best of luck, and hope that you will learn something valuable though this foolish mistake and decision. And remember that I did absolutely nothing to bring this upon you in any manner whatsoever. And I have tried to support you in the ways I could in my position, but you are now alone in this. Just the two of you, Ms. Rose; Oscar. I will never show myself again for the duration of your adventures and quests. I am dead to this world, and to you, and now I can only say that I wish you well. Tell the others I bid them farewell."

He gave her one hard, solemn look, like the ones he gave in serious times, when he was still alive. And then his eyes flashed green and golden, and he was gone. Oscar down on his hands and knees, confused and dizzy. Ozpin's control on him had depleted even more strength from his exhausted body, and now he was feeling even worse. He looked slowly up and saw Ruby, scooted far up to the back of her tent, her back somewhat pressed up against it, her eyes wide and frightened, her body shaking, her face ashen and afraid. Ozpin's presence faded again, deep inside the center of his mind. "He's gone," he mumbled.

"Ruby, I-" he began, his voice trembling. Ruby cut him off by suddenly burying her face into her hands and weeping. Long, emotional sobs wracked her body, hurting Oscar's heart and making him sad. He sat back down and scooted over to her, putting his arm around her shoulders and holding her as tight as he could.

"Oh, Ruby, I tried to tell him we had no choice!" he explained, tears starting to run down his face as well, "He just didn't listen, and now he's leaving us alone in the dark!" He began to sob too, and the two of them sobbed together, Ruby in his arms, and both of them covered a little by her red hood. For a moment, all Ruby could think about was how horrible things were. And then she saw her hood covering both of them a little, and then she thought about Summer. And then she burst out crying even harder.

Ozpin wasn't helping them anymore, if he had even helped them anyway. Nobody else in the group was going to help them in anything. After lying to both Yang _and _Qrow, in the most delicate of times, they probably weren't going to support them either. And why would they? They should't support them, because what they did was absolutely unacceptable. And then there was Summer...Ruby could imagine her giving her poor daughter a hug and a glass of cold whole milk with a plate of cookies, ready to discuss important life lessons with her. And then they would hug and everything would be alright. If Summer was okaying it, then Tai would too. But Summer was dead. Everything wasn't alright, nor would it ever be. Not even after the baby was born.

"We should go to sleep," Oscar whispered, his voice shaking with emotion. Ruby just nodded her reply and continued crying into her hood. Oscar stood slowly up, feeling the slightest bit better in a physical way, but emotionally, he was crushed. Watching Ruby cry and knowing how hard it was going to be for her, and then knowing how terrible it would be for himself, everything was just horrible. He slowly left her tent, glancing back at her for a moment. She was curled up even tighter now, and she seemed to be sobbing something quietly into her hood. Oscar sighed, left the tent, and then slowly dragged himself to his own, no longer caring about how he felt.

As he flopped down onto his sleeping bag, not even bothering to pull over the covers, the memories of what had just happened seemed to dull in his mind. They were still there, but they were faded and almost unreal to him. He felt himself feeling heavy and thick as the comfort of his sleeping bag began to seep into him and sleep pulled weighed down at his eyes. He closed them and yawned, then rolled over on his side and stared at the wall. One more tear trickled down his face as he reevaluated the recent event that had occurred. And then, with one more whispered question, he fell asleep.

"Why?"

* * *

**Welp, I was listening to the very last song in the Volume 3 score. The saddest ending volume of RWBY ever. It really helped me with this chapter. Sorry for the late update! I was in Florida all week when I would have had another chapter or two up, so sorry about that. I should have more time now, so that's great. **

**Ruby's bump is already starting to show! What will they do? And now Ozpin has just left (Kinda like in Volume 6) and they are on they're on their own now. At least maybe they might have less strain if they had just told Qrow or Yang in their soft moments...But you know how foolish teens can be. And Nora and Ren are probably going to be much more suspicious now. Big oof. **

**Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more chapters!**


	6. A New Plan and a New Danger

"Ruby, you can't eat with your mouth full."

Ruby squinted her eyes open and looked hard at the shadowy face in front of her. She had a sense that it was her mother, but facially, she couldn't tell. It was too bright, and at the same time, too dark. It almost looked like, Weiss...or Yang...was it Blake? It was like a mix of faces, all in one, of so many people she knew. It was a little scary, too.

"You could choke." The voice was also like a mix of all her friends and family, which was even weirder, because it was only one voice. Ruby tried to sit up but found she was tangled in something. It was her red hood. Or was it? She tried to lift it up, but the soft fabric suddenly melted away in her hand. It was blood. Soon, she found she was sitting in a pool of blood, her hood still on her shoulders, making it look like she was constantly bleeding from her back and shoulders. She gasped and found that the blood was boiling hot, and she jumped to her feet, falling over as her legs were tangled in her hood still, somehow. The blood seemed to burn her skin, making her feel suddenly cold, and a sizzling sound followed with some red steam.

Looking around her, it looked like she was in some old sewer, any gas or liquid possible replaced with shiny, bright red blood. The strange figure that had just been right in her face before had stepped back, standing on the blood as if it were a floor. The figures identity was even more vague, and it was starting to look much creepier than before. Ruby panicked, the blood turning colder and colder by the second and begging to turn darker and darker. She tried to stand up, get out of the now freezing blood, and away from the shadowy, vague figure nearby.

"Who are you?!" she cried, the blood starting to feel sticky and thick now, "What is this?!" The blood suddenly started to rise up, as if more of it was filling the room. And it was. The grates, holes in he floors and ceilings, and any opening visible was spurting up blood, making the levels of blood rise until it was already up to her chin. Ruby struggled to stand up, keep her head above the blood, but her hood kept her tied to the ground, and she couldn't breath. But she could somehow see, under all that blood, and saw the shadowy figure, standing there, or rather, hovering. It now looked much less like a girl now, but more like a boy. A tall, full grown man. And with every wave of blood that hit him, the less vague his features became. A black suit; golden buttons; green scarf with a silver crucifix; holding a cane in front of him.

"Ozpin?" Ruby asked, forgetting that she could not breath. It didn't seem to affect her speech, nor her breath. His eyes held his usual, knowing look in them. A look of shame was added to the mix, and his gaze seemed to pierce down to her very soul, making her shiver. She felt numb, and at the same time, too hot. And now she was only in a red room, where everything but the two of them were red.

"I tried to warn him," he said. For the first real time, Ruby actually missed him. "Warn him where this would lead. And now the people you thought were capable of protecting you from the dangers of your own friends and allies are the very ones bringing this 'danger' you fear. You want to blame them, chide them for lacking compassion and loathing you for your deeds, but if you think about it, it is really _you _whom you should be blaming. _You _were the one who completed the action that brought you here, and _you _were the one who concealed a secret that you should've _and _could've, with less complications and more love, told the others and made things right. Not to mention, _you _were the one who 's expectations lead to more damage, more than once, in this whole mess."

Ruby felt tears pouring down her face, mingling with the blood that seemed waxed on. Ozpin closed his eyes and bowed his head, sympathy and pain clear on his face.

"I am truly sorry, Miss Rose," he said quietly, "But I do believe you have no one to cry out to without drawback." And with that, the blood began to wash over him once more, painting over him. With every wave, that washed over him, the color of that spot would change into a different one until Ozpin's whole outfit had changed. It was no longer him anymore, but someone else. Ruby's heart jumped at the sight of him.

"Oscar!" she choked, feeling like the blood that she was once more surrounded in was beginning to gain some wait. Oscar stood there, his head bowed with his cane held out in front of him, vertical. He looked up slowly, a pained look in his eyes. There were tears brimming there, in those two pools of hazel, but they didn't spill. They just seemed to get more and more filled with tears, and the look of pain and sorrow grew until Ruby felt she couldn't bear it anymore. She tried to stand up, reach out to him with a warm, loving hug, but found that her legs were as limp as wet paper.

"Ruby..," Oscar whispered, his voice equally pained, "I-I'm sorry. I really t-tried...to protect you..."

Ruby's eyes widened and more tears ran down her face. Behind Oscar was herself, standing there and holding something. It was a small bundle...with little chubby arms sticking out and waving around. The tiny wail of a baby came from it.

_Is that our baby?!_

The other Ruby's face was flat and emotionless, with a hint of resentment, and she slowly pulled out Crescent Rose from her back, one handed. Then with a sudden moment, her face became infuriated with pure anger and hatred, and she transformed Crescent Rose into a scythe, swinging it high above her head with a menacing look on her face. Ruby screamed, trying to do everything, _anything_, she could do to stop that blade from hurting Oscar. Poor, poor Oscar. But she was too late. She was nearly stuck frozen to the ground while the silver and red blade sliced into Oscar's back, spraying a terribly large amount of blood from the wound and adding it to the blood already covering them all.

"No!" Ruby shrieked, a torrent of tears seeming to drown her face, "No! Leave him alone! Stop! _Please_!" She struggled against the horrible burning cold blood that kept her bonded away from her love. The mother Ruby, still holding the baby, grinned. But it wasn't a satisfied grin, but rather a grin that was meant to be satisfaction but wasn't enough. The mother Ruby's face went mad, her eyes wide and unfocused, and she began to slice and wack Oscar to her black heart's content. It was then that Oscar's tears began to fall.

And Oscar just stood there. Let her shred him up and take every ounce of strength and happiness he had left. As if he deserved it or something. But Ruby knew that he didn't. He was just as innocent about this as anyone else who hadn't even taken part in this mess. He was just a poor farm boy, forced to take the reins of a mad horse, driven insane down a rocky path full of bumps, ditches, and all sorts of obstacles.

"Oscar, no!" Ruby shouted, her desperate cries turning to sobs, "Fight back...don't let me do this anymore..." It was just too much. Ozpin could just take over, right? He could just fight back for him and get rid of her just like that. But no, he had left Oscar and Ruby by themselves, letting them stab around in the dark. And Oscar...he was capable of stopping her before it was too late. But he just stood there, letting her destroy him.

"Ruby..," Oscar coughed, wincing as her scythe cut into his head, "I-I just want you t-to be h-happy." He smiled weakly at her as another numbing blow was sent into his legs. His leg buckled and he fell to his knees in agony. He cried out as Ruby stabbed Crescent Rose into his back in spear form, making it go at least halfway through him. Oscar fell onto his hands and knees, coughing up puddles of blood. Ruby began to weep, sobbing for him to stop this and kill her. Both of her, if he had to. But Oscar looked back up at her.

"You're doing th-this to m-me because you w-want t-to," he spluttered, blood running out of his mouth in exaggerated portion sizes, "A-and I w-won't stop you from doing w-what you think is b-best. I w-won't take anything f-from you. Ever." He smiled again and Ruby cried even harder.

"You m-mean more to me than the wh-whole w-world," he continued. The mother Ruby, whose baby had suddenly disappeared, stepped back and prepared to stab her spear into his back once more. One final time.

"A-and I don't w-want them to hurt y-you for something that I-I am part of t-too." He braced himself for the last blow that Ruby would give him. Ruby realized that the mother Ruby was getting ready to stab him through and end his life. But she couldn't let her do that. Nobody was going to end her Oscar's life. She tried to use her semblance, surprised and relieved that it somehow actually worked, and she sped towards him. He was farther away than she remembered, and then, everything seemed to go in slow motion.

The rose petals all around her went slow motion, she went in slow motion, and the mother Ruby went into slow motion. She was just moving forward, her spear posed perfectly at the hole in Oscar's back that was already gushing blood, slowly. Oscar's eyes were closed and he awaited his death with a calm, sad face. Ruby watched as the spear got closer and closer to its target, and she realized that she was floating farther away from him. Away from Oscar, who would soon be dead. Things started to go back into normal speed again, and Ruby screamed out, hoping it would stop the other her from killing him.

Suddenly, she noticed that she herself was standing behind Oscar, the spear in her hand about to end his life. Shocked, she tried to stop herself, but the momentum was too great. The spear she was holding drove through the hole and out through his chest, finished Oscar's stand on his hands and knees. He fell to the ground and lay there, still. Ruby stood there, shocked and frightened, and then overcome by grief. The other Ruby was gone, but the little bundle containing their child lay on the ground by her feet, crying.

Ruby fell to her knees, her eyes wide and filled with tears, staring into the distance in pure shock and heartbrokenness. Letting go of the spear, she buried her face into her hands and began to weep. Oscar's dead, bleeding body lay in front of her with Crescent Rose sticking out of her back in spear form, their baby lay at her knees, crying louder and louder with each second, and the blood had disappeared from around her. In the hazy atmosphere of wherever she was, a world of pure white, a sense that she was alone filled her. Like she knew that there was nobody left in her life anymore. She cried harder than she even though possible, and her baby screamed so loud her ears began to loose sense of hearing.

Then, with a suddenness that could scare a rock, the baby stopped and then let out a tremendous screech, so high pitched and loud that it seemed to shatter Ruby herself. She suddenly looked like she was made of some sort of glass, and she shattered into a million pieces. The white around her became so bright she could barely see.

And then she couldn't breathe.

She tried desperately to breathe, get a breath of air, but none came. It was as if she was floating in space or something and there was _no _air whatsoever. She felt her lungs cry out for air, and she began to feel lightheaded. A feeling of death seemed to hover over her and she sudden became aware of nothing anymore. And then she sat up, drenched in sweat, gasping in deep breaths of air, and shaking very hard. She looked around, only to find that she was laying in her tent, wrapped in her hood, which was now damp from sweat, and sunlight was shifting in through her tent's walls and celling.

She sighed with relief, glad that it had just been one, horrid nightmare and not real. Or had it been? An uneasy sense that Oscar _wasn't _alright began to crowd her mind. She wanted nothing more than to see that he was living and alright. Scrambling to her wobbly feet, she began to hurriedly get dressed, tears beginning to run down her face again.

Meanwhile, Oscar lay awake in his tent, long having been up since dawn. Even though he had gone to bed late and had suddenly had the exhaustion of many days heaped upon him, he had waken up early and been unable to fall back asleep. So he lay there, thinking about everything that had happened last night. Ruby's face last night had crushed his heart, and Ozpin's message had left him confused, upset, and very sad. He and Ruby were in this alone now, not like they were't before. And what could they do? Even if they somehow managed to hide Ruby's pregnancy to the last moment, how were they going to keep the _baby _secret? Not to mention the labor...

Oscar sighed and covered his face with his hands, feeling more exasperated than ever. If he told _anyone_, they would kill him. Literally. And if he and Ruby ran away, the others would somehow track them down, likely, and then deal with them in a horrible way. Sure, Qrow and Yang loved Ruby, and Weiss and the rest of her team had been forgiving enough to forgive Blake after she had blatantly left them. But this was different. In a very bad way. There was no way he and Ruby could face up to them. It just wasn't possible without drawback, just like Ozpin had said. And now Oscar couldn't even talk to Ozpin even a tiny bit. He was gone now. Ozpin could hear him, of course, but he wasn't going to help him or talk. Wonderful.

"Some help you are!" Oscar almost yelled angrily, looking up at his head, "Way to _really _listen to me up there!" He grunted in frustration and sighed again. It was all hopeless now, and every day that passed, their secret would get more and more obvious. And he had to be the man of this situation. He couldn't just blame it all on Ruby. He was a man, and he was going to stand up for her in the way he ought to; with love and truth.

As he was sorting through his messy thoughts, he heard something. It sounded like...sobbing? Yes, it was sobbing, Ruby's sobbing, and it was coming closer. Oscar sat up a little, groaning at the pain in his muscles. He saw Ruby's shadow racing towards his tent, and then she burst through the entrance, locking her arms around him in a tight hug, and she held onto him, weeping into his shoulder...again. It was even worse than her weeping last night, and Oscar's heart broke once again. He immediately held onto her, hugging her back and petting her hair. She was an emotional mess now, he could tell. He just wondered what, exactly, had given her the urge to run into his tent and cry into his shoulder.

"Ruby?" he asked, gently pulling her away from him so he could see her face, "What's the matter."

Ruby sniffed and sucked in a sob, trying to stop crying. Her shiny tears dripped down her face and wetted her cheeks, and her overall expression was making Oscar's eyes water. He quickly adjusted to it, though, and looked softly at her. She sniffed harder, and wiped at her eyes.

"I-I-I," she stuttered, sobbing in between words, "I-I...y-you!" She began to cry more, and Oscar almost got annoyed. But he felt far too sad himself, and too sad for her to _really _feel annoyed. "What is it?"

"M-my d-dream last n-night," she choked, her eyes only half open and brimming with tears, "Y-you s-saved m-m-me from m-me." She took in a long, uneven and shaky breath. "I-I k-k-killed you and y-you forgave m-me. I-I'm so s-sorry!" She broke down crying again, and Oscar held her up in his arms. He gently brushed away the hair that had fallen into her face and he held her close again, patting her back. She clung to him even tighter, and began sobbing some sort of unidentifiable gibberish into his shoulder muffled by his coat. She really was upset. He drew back from her again and looked her square in the eyes.

"Ruby, I-" he began, confused and at the same time understanding of what she had recently blurted, "I'm sorry. Ozpin's not here anymore, but that's alright. If you need _anything_, then just tell me, and I'll try my best to do it for you, okay?" He smiled faintly. Ruby managed a wobbly smiled and nodded her head slowly. Her eyes displayed the kind of fear she must have felt in her dream, and it was absolutely horrendous. Oscar wished he could have just taken the dream that had been terrorizing her the night before, and had it himself. That poor girl didn't need anything more to get worked up about.

"Then could I have another hug?" she asked him weakly. Oscar smiled softly.

"Of course."

And they hugged one last time that morning, the quite of the morning and the beautiful sounds of nature around them calming them both to some extent. It was after a nice long hug and another round of tears that they both came back to the present feeling much better. Or at least much better than before. Ruby smiled weakly again and slowly stood up, not wanting to get them in trouble again by getting caught seen in his tent. Oscar smiled his goodbye, returning hers, and then she slowly left his tent, leaving Oscar behind again, alone to himself.

As Ruby walked out back into the sunshine, her clothes a little messy on her, and her hair bearing a bad bedhead, she looked down at her stomach, wondering how visible her bump was in this view. She couldn't see it too much, but it was still there. Though, she supposed it was mostly because she was used to seeing it raw, and she was so paranoid about it. But still, a growing sense of uneasiness filled her, and the fear of her secret being uncovered began to worry her. But she tried to shake it off, knowing that it wasn't too showy, and it probably wouldn't be too much of a deal. But still...

_Just _please _let this be invisible to them. _

The first person up was Jaune, and he seemed surprised to see Ruby the first one up. She had already stirred up the fire, started boiling some water, and was cutting up roots. He approached her, fresh after a good night's sleep, and wearing clean clothes. He had polished his armor last night, and the sun glinted off its smooth surface. Ruby noticed him out of the corner of her eye and looked up from the root she was cutting.

"Hey, Jaune!" she greeted with a smile. The tear stains from before had faded, so she looked pretty much normal. He smiled, glad to see that she was up at the time she used to be, and she looked much better than earlier.

"You look chipper," he said brightly, "Feeling better?" His smile was so warm and friendly, Ruby couldn't help but smile too. Although she had maybe loved him at one point, Oscar was now her man, and she felt bad for Jaune. He probably thought that Ruby was good with him. She nodded.

"Yep!" she said cheerfully, continuing to chop the roots, "I slept pretty great last night. You?" Jaune smiled and nodded.

"Great," he answered, sitting down on a log by the fire and grabbing one of the raw chunks of meat waiting to be cooked. He took out his sword and began slicing it into nice pieces. "Breakfast stew sounds pretty good," he said, eyeing up the roots that Ruby tossed into the boiling water. Ruby nodded with a smile.

"My dad used to make it _all _the time. Me and Yang got so sick of it that we would throw our bowls on the floor and make a huge mess." She giggled. "We were young enough that our dad though we were too cute to get in trouble!"

Jaune laughed and nodded his head, tossing in some pieces of meat into the root-water.

"Yeah, me and my sisters-all of them-would try to put together money every week so we could get to the ice cream truck on Mondays. We would take a certain amount of time every day, searching for spare change and lost money all over the place. One of my sisters, Sky, almost got hit by a car once, finding a lien card in the road."

"Wait...Saffron...Sky...Do all of your sisters' names start with an s?"

"Yeah...that's what makes me even more and oddball in my family."

"Can you tell me all of them?"

"Um...yeah, they're my sisters. But okay."

He took a deep breath.

"Sapphire, Scarlet, Saffron, Sandy, Sage, Sunny, and Sky."

Ruby giggled.

"And then there's Jaune," she said, "The J! And nobody else in your family has a J name?"

"My mom's name is Jade," he answered, "Which is funny, because she's got blond hair and blue eyes...like almost _all _of us."

"What about your dad? Is he blond and blue too?"

"No. He's got red curly hair and really dark brown eyes."

"What's his name?"

"Nathan."

"Nathan and Jade Arc..," she murmured, "Nice."

Jaune looked back down at the sword and the rock he had been using to cut the meat, only to realize that he had finished it and that all of it was in the pot. He shrugged and stood back up. Ruby had also finished cutting the roots and had also added them to the cooking meat. She grabbed some of the salt they still had left from a town they had passed a few weeks ago and added it to the mix, along with some fresh herbs. The stew was already smelling fantastic. But a single fruit stamped itself into Ruby's mind.

_Watermelon!_

"That smells great!" Jaune said, taking his sword, "I'm gonna go wash this and my hands off in the water. I'll be right back." And he walked into the trees, disappearing from view. Ruby smiled, glad that she had been able to forget the lingering horror of her previous nightmare. She felt _much _better after talking to Jaune and learning more about his family. She had always wondered what his family was like, or rather, what all of their names were. She shrugged and stirred the stew, wishing she had onions. Those would taste pretty great in the stew, and maybe some yuca root...

"Ruby!"

Yang's cheery voice startled her little sister badly and made her jump, nearly burning her on the hot pot atop the fire.

"Yang!" Ruby yelled angrily, stepping back and turning to face her older sister, "Stop doing that!"

Yang skipped over, seeming to have gotten some of her thrill-seeker attitude as before. "Stop doing what? Cheerfully greeting my baby sister in the morning? No way!" She gave Ruby a nice, gentle hug. "I'm glad you're doing better. I missed the old you."

Ruby's eyes widened.

_Well, then. Oscar sure keeps me good and 'normal' for you._

"Yeah," Ruby said after Yang had let go, "I'm glad too. I guess I just needed a little time." She smirked and quickly stirred the stew. Yang stepped over and looked over Ruby's shoulder at the bubbling stew in the pot. It was steaming and looked quite appealing. Yang licked her lips.

"Are you seriously making that stew Dad always made?" she asked, humored. Ruby grinned and nodded.

"Mom taught me how," she began, "But we've had it so many times, I pretty much knew what was in it by taste!" She and Yang giggled together. Then Yang looked directly into Ruby's eyes with a soft, knowing smile. She gently placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder and sighed.

"It's good to have you back," she said. Ruby smiled and nodded.

"Yeah." She looked down at a small chipmunk and followed it with her gaze as it scampered through the clearing and escaped into the trees, rustling the bushes as it fled. Ruby's mind drifted as the sounds of the birds and the bugs filled her ears, along with the trickle of the stream and the rustling of the trees in the wind. Several crows called out their harsh caws, echoing slightly along the treetops.

"Ruby?" Yang asked, noticing her sister's distraction, "You okay?" Ruby snapped herself back to the present and nodded her head vigorously.

"Yeah!" she said cheerfully, "I'm great! Just listening to all the pretty sounds of nature." She smiled contently and watched a few birds fly together from tree to tree. Yang shrugged and stretched, walking over to the stew and staring its bubbling contents.

"Okay, then. Boy, will everyone else enjoy this." She breathed in the rich, savory fragrance of the stew and licked her lips. "Nice job, sis!"

Ruby nodded and started walking towards one of the logs that circle the fire. She sat down on it, frowning as she felt her bump more when she sat. She felt like it was sticking out even more when she sat, and it made her nervous. But she knew she should't stress herself out too much. Oscar had warned her what it could lead to, and she didn't want that to happen. But she still felt _very _uneasy about it, so she covered up her midsection with her hood, posing it as a blanket to ward off the chilly morning air.

The next hour was a mix of people waking up, getting ready for the day, and eating the stew that Ruby and Jaune had made. And now, they mostly sat there, finishing off their last bowls of stew and chatting about their next plans. Ruby had finished off her stew faster than everyone else, the savory chunks of meat appealing largely to her diet, and she now sat with her empty bowl perched on a stump in the log she sat on. Her cape remained covering her belly, and Oscar had taken notice of this. But he didn't make a public not of this, and he simply brushed it off, knowing why it was.

"Hey, could have your attention please?" Jaune asked, standing up in front of the fire. Everybody's conversation ceased as they averted their gaze to Jaune, who, fortunately for him, was taller than literally everyone else. Ruby didn't want to look directly at his honest blue eyes because she felt it would give away her secret, somehow, just by them meeting eyes. And it was weird, because she felt like it was just now, not earlier when they _had _been looking directly at each other. Weird.

"It seems that we've been standing around for a little too long," he began, looking at each and every one of them, "And now I think it's about time we get moving again."

Ruby inwardly collapsed and pulled out a revolver, shooting herself and Jaune thousands of times over. Outwardly, her eyes just widened and she started blankly at nothing, surprised and not very pleased. Everyone else just nodded and exchanged nods with other people, approving collectively.

"So when do we leave?" Blake asked.

"I was thinking right after breakfast," Jaune answered, enthusiastic as usual, "We can pack up and get going."

"And we're heading where?" Weiss asked, a hint annoyed. Jaune rolled his eyes and sighed.

"We are going to Atlas, Weiss," he answered for the tenth time. Literally. "I know you hate it there and you've been eager to leave and never see that place again, but we have a mission."

Weiss squinted hard at Jaune, and then looked around at everyone else, as if urging them to intervene. Then a thought came to her.

"Why are we going there?" she asked, holding up a hand, "Especially since we don't even know if we can trust Ozpin anymore. He _lied _to us, and quite frankly, I haven't found any more reasons to trust him at all."

Ruby and Oscar exchanged glances and Ruby's hands clutched her skirt angrily.

"And even if we did decided to go forward with his plans," Weiss continued, her voice containing its usual saltiness, "We wouldn't even know _where _to put the Relic, let alone what to do with it. We left it with Maria in Atlas because she knew how to keep it safe and defend herself from Grimm...t least to some extent, and so we could figure out what to do next. We need to defeat Salem, somehow, but how in Remnant are we going to do that? She _invincible_. How do you deal with that? Maybe we can't defeat her, but we can _defend _ourselves from her. If we had all four Relics, I think we could do that, keeping ourselves and others safe."

There was a long, quiet silence after Weiss finished her statement. People exchanged glances or looked at the ground in though. The birds chirping, breeze gently blowing, water trickling, and the crackling of the fire were all that could be heard. And then Qrow spoke up.

"If we don't have the Lamp of Knowledge with us, and it's in Atlas, along with the Atlas Relic, going back to Atlas while we're in bad terms with them is suicide. Even if our skills are pretty sweet, it would only be us against hundreds and hundreds of Atlas military soldiers. Not like they're hard to beat, but with a bunch of weaklings agains a small amount of strong fighters, we could get spanked away from Atlas forever."

"That's um...encouraging," Jaune said, nervously scratching the back of his head. Qrow just gave him that one maroon glare that told Jaune to hold his tongue. And he did.

"Uh...I think Weiss has a point," Blake said, slightly hesitant, "I know it could be potentially risky going back into Atlas for a second shot, but it could really be worth it. And being Huntsmen and Huntresses is all about risk."

"Yeah," Qrow said, taking a swig from his flask, "But that doesn't mean you go all stupid about it. That's how you die."

"Nah," Yang said, giving her thick golden hair a flick, "I live to risk, and look at me. I'm fit and alive as ever!" She smirked and rubbed some dirt off her gauntlet. Weiss rolled her eyes but remained silent. Qrow just looked down, feeling like anything he said would be rejected by the group. It likely would, anyway.

_Just my luck._

Ruby, although having the constant stress of keeping her baby safe and concealing it fro the others, hand jumped right back into her position as team leader. She wanted to help and figure things out, just like Ozpin had told her when she had first become leader. It _was _a daunting task, but she knew she could do it, and she suddenly had a solution. It was kind of made up as she went, thinking it through, and then it just seemed to make sense.

"I think I have another idea," Ruby said solemnly. Everybody, including Qrow, looked in her direction, shifting their focus on her. Oscar felt a little nervous, feeling like Ruby might accidentally give something away. If her plan was easier or laid-back, it could easily arouse the suspicions of others. He swallowed nervously and listened carefully to her plan.

"It better not involve stealing another airship," Weiss said, sipping some water, "Because we already know that that plan will fail."

"Um," Ruby began looking down and starting at her dusty boots, "It kind of does. But not entirely."

The group stared at her, confused.

"We're trying to get into Atlas," she said, looking back up at the group, "And I think I found another way. It may be a little more difficult though. Like more sneaky."

"Like our previous plan wasn't difficult enough," Weiss said sarcastically. Blake gave her a scowling glance that hushed Weiss up.

"Be respectful and hear her out," she mumbled. Weiss sighed and put her hands in her lap.

"And it does involve Weiss going back home again," Ruby continue, glancing at her partner.

"And how will that work if we just tried that only a few days ago?" Weiss asked, hoping she wouldn't get scolded again. Nobody challenged.

"Because," Ruby began, "We told Argus you were going home. I'm pretty sure they didn't tell your dad you were coming back. And when they attacked us earlier, Cordovin must have messaged them to attack an 'impostor ship' or something. He probably has no idea you were involved in that attack."

Weiss nodded slowly, but remained with a frown.

"I still don't think it will work if I try going home again," she said, crossing her arms, "I ran away, for goodness sake! What do you think would make my father think that I suddenly turned around and decided to come back after only around a month?"

Ruby looked hard at Weiss.

"A sudden mishap," she said, squinting. Weiss looked at the ground and thought for a moment. Then she gasped and looked back up at Ruby.

"What?!" she exclaimed, eyes wide, "I am not going home and begging for forgiveness from my father! Never."

She crossed her arms and looked away.

"Weiss, if you'll just hear me out-" Ruby began. Oscar stood up and spoke about the growing heat in conversation.

"I think it would work," he said, his deep, raspy voice holding authority, "We just need to hear the rest of her plan." He smiled softly at Ruby and winked. Ruby hid a grin and then cleared her throat.

"Weiss, you would just call your dad up on your scroll and ask him for forgiveness...or whatever."

Weiss looked liked she waned to kill Ruby, but she simply looked down. "No."

Ruby, who's mood could rapidly change to anger at the moment, felt irritation at Weiss's stubbornness making her face hot and her fists clench. She was already getting super mad, and she didn't want to loose her friendship with her. But right now, this was important, and she was going to get this through to everyone.

"And then an Atlas ship will come and pick her up," she continued, keeping a mean eye on Weiss, "I was thinking, Blake, that from what you told us, you're pretty good at sneaking onto transportation items like trains and such. If you could get onto the ship, we could simply follow your lead, and then we're on."

Blake gave a brief nod of her head. "It does depend on what kind of ship it is," she added, "If it's heavily armed or guarded, it could be a lot more difficult. But assuming that it's just a simple transportation ship, I don't think it should be a huge problem. We should prepare for it, though, just in case."

The group nodded. Ruby shifted her gaze onto Qrow.

"Uncle Qrow?" Ruby began, locking eyes with him, "To make things a bit easier you you...and everyone else in general...do you think you'd be okay with...well, turning into a crow for the flight there? You could fly with the ship, just by the window, and then come out and fight if we really need it."

Qrow gave her an unamused look and sighed.

"Look," he said, shifting into a different sitting position, "Ruby, I know you have a bunch of 'big ideas' in your head all the time, but in case you haven't noticed, with me around, they usually turn into 'bad ideas'. And sure, you could say, we've made it though a lot of things with me around, but they haven't been easy, and to be honest...some pretty horrible things happened because of my semblance."

Ruby sighed, but didn't loose her plan, or her eagerness.

"Uncle Qrow," Ruby said, giving him her silver look, "You're my family, and family sticks through things together, even if one of us weighs us down. But the thing is, we can lift each other up when one of us sinks. It's how a family operates! Then we all finish standing. I love you, Uncle Qrow, and I don't want you to feel like you can't be a part of this. You're a huntsman, too. You can fight, and you're great at it. You've saved our lives countless times." She gave his a sweet smile.

Throughout that statement, all Qrow could think of was,

_What a remarkable daughter._

And then he felt like all he could do was listen. Sure, he wasn't going to blindly follow or do something that would clearly ruin things, but he was going to try. He was sick and tired of thing always going wrong, but what, really, did they have to loose? If anything, he deserved to die. So why not risk everything. It didn't matter, anyway. He would die, sooner or later, so why not try to help Ruby while he still could? Nodding, he agreed to help her.

Ruby smiled and nodded her thanks.

"And then," she continued, gaining some sort of momentum as she spoke, "We can sneak off, we've done that plenty of times to remember how, and then we're in!"

"All-right!" Nora said excitedly, lifting a fist into the air, "I just should't hope for a fight. I feel like I haven't fought in centuries!" She made that almost wicked grin. "I also haven't broken any legs in years."

Ren sighed and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Nora, please..."

She giggled and scooted closer to him. "Of course, Ren!" She giggled again and Ren smiled softly. Ruby couldn't help but feel a little jealous that Nora and Ren could openly show their affection for each other. No guilt. No fear. All open and great. But she and Oscar couldn't. Not yet, anyway. But that was her own fault, anyway. She bit her lip and got back to her plan. And just in time, too. Weiss was just about to open her mouth and ask exactly what Ruby was about to talk about.

"And Weiss," Ruby said, cutting her teammate off just as her mouth opened, "As for you, we'll grab the Relic back from Maria, and then we'll get the Atlas Relic. Once we return, you should be able to see us from somewhere outside of the Schnee Manor. There are a lot of windows, right?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, her arms still crossed. "Yes."

"Great!" Ruby said, clapping her hands together, "Then just check often for us outside the windows! Which side of the Manor would you think is most accessible?"

Weiss thought for a moment before responding, "On the left side of the entrance. There's no special gate or anything. You could all probably just get over it using your weapons or something. I'll be checking out those windows then."

Ruby nodded.

"Perfect. Then you'll wait for us, and then you can escape from the window, using your glyphs. Pretty simple?"

"Sure."

"Okay then! If we do all that, then we sneak back out of Atlas the same way Weiss told us she flew out. She's got plenty of money. And then we leave with two powerful Relics and our whole crew."

"And how are we going to know where the Atlas Relic is?" Ren asked calmly. Ruby waved her hand at him and giggled.

"We have Oscar," she said, looking at Oscar, "And he's got Ozpin's memories! He can just recall where he put that Relic, as well as all the other ones, right Oscar?" She looked hopefully at him and he nodded.

"I've been testing that," he answered with another nod, "And I am able to recall where I hid all our Relics."

Ruby, excited and pumped for this plan, jumped excitedly in place. It reminded her a lot about that time in Beacon when team RWBY had gone out and stopped Torchwick's scheme together. That had been awesome.

"Then it's settled!" she said eagerly, "We do that, and then we meet back, right here, with two of the Relics!"

The group nodded and broke out in eager chatter, already working out the details of the trip and the plan. Ruby felt a satisfaction about having done this again. It really felt great to be like her old self, and not her nervous, unready, and pregnant actual self. And then a sudden realization slammed into her like a truck.

She had just increased everyone's trust about her hidden condition, but she had just raised the risk of harming her and Oscar's precious unborn child. And Oscar even looked a little nervous himself. But he knew Ruby knew what she was doing...he hoped. But now Ruby was suddenly terrified about her newly come up plan.

_What did I just do?!_

* * *

**Okay! FINALLY got this chapter out! So sorry about this super late chapter! I was gone for a week on a trip, then our power went out for 29 hours, and then I had no access to this laptop for nearly a week. So a 2 week delay was set on this chapter! Sorry about that...****Plus, I only have an hour a day to write, so it's kinda hard to post chapters as quickly as I would like to. **

**Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more chapters!**


	7. Iter Truci

"Oscar, I need to talk to you."

Ruby took Oscar by the hand and pulled him towards the trees, slightly rough. Oscar followed her, already having an idea as to what she was wanting to talk about. Yesterday morning's meeting and Ruby's plan had his heart racing, and he knew that Ruby's was already regretting her choice of plan. He could see it on her face shortly after she had finished suggesting it, and he was worried about the outcome of it.

After the meeting, the group had packed all of their things and began their trip back to Atlas...on foot. Shortly before leaving, Qrow had talked to Ruby, explaining his new dedication for this plan. He told her how he admired her spry and clever plan, and told her he'd do his best. Sort of a new thing for Ruby, not like Qrow had never told her how much he loved and appreciated her, but that he was so quick to agree to move along with this plan.- Manage Stories It kind of concerned her, but she thought less of it as the hours went by, and she simply thanked him and went along. Jaune also had some sort of relief that Ruby was 'up and running'. He had been quite worried about whether or not she was actually normal or okay, but this confirmed his thoughts and put his mind at rest. Everyone else also seemed much less suspicious. But for Ruby, it was like finishing 5 miles in a 100 mile run, still having so much more to deal with and hide. This was just the start of her and Oscar's miserable journey.

And last night they had stopped in another forest, setting up camp and going to sleep. The creek that had been at their first site seemed to be slowly turning into a river the farther they went. Indeed, the stream would developed into a huge, roaring river only a few day's more of walking. And that river ran through Atlas, dumping into the Atlesian Ocean. The group's new campsite had a similar creek spot as their first one, where Ruby and Qrow had sat on the fallen tree, talking. It was a guilty conversation for Ruby, and she tried hard not to think about it too much.

The two of them walked into the small clearing, the larger, wider creek swirling in the weak current and making the weeds at the bottom wave around like they were dancing. The bank of the creek was mostly moss, squishing down and making the bottoms of their boots wet as they stepped onto it. Trees surrounded the area, a few vines hanging around, and a large bird's nest was sitting atop a fat branch that was hanging about the creek. Ruby took both of Oscar's hands and looked deeply into his eyes. Her face was filled with fear and worry, making his heart ache to help her.

"What's the matter?" he asked, already knowing her reply. Ruby took a deep breath and sighed.

"I messed up," she said, her voice just on the brink of breaking. Tears were already swimming in her silver eyes, making them shiny. "I messed up bad." She sniffed and quickly wiped at her eyes, streaking the side of her face with tears. Oscar sighed and held her hands a little tighter.

"It's okay," he said quietly, "You just had a good idea and you shared it. No one can blame you. To the others...it was a great idea and a clear sign that you're clear and free. They don't think you're u to anything anymore. You've proven innocence to them and now they have something to keep them occupied."

"No," Ruby said, gaining frustration and getting upset, "Fake innocence. And now I'm gonna screw everything up even more for us. For _you_! I'm going to mess up during the plan, and then everyone's going to know." More tears made their way into her eyes. Oscar lifted a hand to brush her tears away.

"No, you won't mess up-" he began, but Ruby stepped away from him, closer to the water, sniffing.

"No, Oscar!" she said, emotion making her voice tremble, "I'm _weak_! I get tired in the middle of the day; I get _exhausted _just by working hard for an hour; I'm always hungry, and I need more sleep and rest in order to remain halfway normal! And when we had to fight those Grimm yesterday, I could barely kill just one. _One_, Oscar! I was so tired from swinging my scythe around and dodging and running, I had to pretend I had gotten hit or something and disappear into the trees to take a break! _Plus_, I think my aura gets depleted faster. Isn't that _great_?!"

She raised her voice louder and louder as the momentum of her 'speech' got higher. More tears were streaming down her face, and she was stepping closer and closer to the water. Oscar watched with a close eye as she got nearer to falling in, and he stepped forward, ready to catch her.

"I'm pretty sure that this baby is sapping my aura for it's own!" she shouted, "Because when I got hit _once_, the aura level on my scroll was down to 60, even though I started with 100! So now I'm delicate _and _useless!" She let out a brief sob and wiped hard at her eyes, trying to make them disappear. But more tears accompanied the ones being wiped away, and her face was wetter than ever. She took one last step backwards before Oscar reached forward and snatched her wrist, jerking her back with his strong arms. She stumbled in front of him and found herself standing in front of Oscar, dry and unharmed.

"You need to calm down," Oscar said, putting a hand on her fragile shoulder, "You're overreacting. I know you have a lot to get all worked up about, but this kind of situation works a lot like a Grimm does. You panic, it gets worse. You stay calm, nobody senses anything to be worried about and you can think things through. And it also helps you be less stressed. We don't need more of that. It isn't healthy."

Ruby sniffed and swallowed a waiting sob. She wiped at her eyes again and suddenly felt foolish. She replayed her thoughts and what had just happened in her mind and then felt very bad about it.

_I'm such a meany._

"I'm sorry," she said, sniffing again and taking a deep breath, "You're right. I'm getting too worked up about everything." She looked down at the plants and moss at her feet and then at the foliage around them, taking in every leaf, branch, and plant. Then she looked up at Oscar's handsome face. He still had that cute edge about him, like when he was 14. But now he was so grown up, dealing with this horrible situation with such calmness and maturity. That was something she really loved about him.

"But what do we do?" she asked, wiping some more tears away. Oscar thought for a moment and then sighed.

"I dunno," he said, almost guilty sounding, "But one thing's for sure. We need to carry on with this plan and grit our teeth. Just be careful. We don't want to hurt the baby." He smiled softly, but Ruby could tell it was an unsure smile. Even Oscar wasn't sure about this whole thing. Ruby smiled and tried to look convinced. It was no use freaking out about this. It would just cloud her mind some more.

"Well, I guess Weiss won't be happy about calling her dad," she said, smiling again and pulling away from him, turning towards the exit to the clearing. Oscar chuckled a little and nodded.

"Miss Schnee-I mean, Weiss, probably won't," he answered. His little stutter at Weiss's name concerned Ruby. Was Oscar already basically turning into Ozma? She wasn't ready for that. She didn't want to marry Ozma. She wanted to marry Oscar. Oscar Pine.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ruby asked, brushing a fallen leaf off his face. Oscar sighed and looked down, obviously unhappy.

"Yeah," he said, looking back up at her, "Don't worry. I won't be fully transformed too soon." He smiled lightly at her, but they both know it was going to be a terrible loss once he was fully replaced with Ozma. It would be really sad to see Oscar go, but they would both have to deal with it. And besides, he wouldn't be _entirely _lost. He would still have that little Oscar edge to himself. So that, mixed with his normal appearance, and the fact that his change was quite gradual, wasn't in itself _that _bad. But it still made Ruby and Oscar both dread the time of its coming.

"Ruby!" Jaune's voice echoed through the forest as he searched for his friend. Ruby looked at Oscar, flashed him a quick smile, and then retreated towards the clearing's exit, disappearing through the trees. She burst into the camp, slamming into Jaune and causing them both to fall over into a heap on the grass. Ruby's head went wonky for a moment, and then cleared shortly after she sat dizzily up, rubbing a hurting spot on her head. The pain dulled and became nothing only after a moment. Jaune sat up with a groan and quickly apologized.

"Oh my gosh!" he exclaimed, standing up and quickly offering her his hand, "I'm so sorry!" He helped Ruby back up to her feet with one strong pull of his arm and then sighed, nervously holding the back of his neck.

"Are you okay? I didn't know you would come back...right away."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? I just slammed into you super hard. Nothing major...or anything."

"Okay. Hey, we're gonna get going soon. Are you all packed up and ready?"

"Um...not quite. I'll just get to that right away."

She turned to leave, but Jaune's hand grabbed her shoulder, stopping her from leaving. She glanced over her shoulder to see what he had to say.

"Hey, great plan, by the way," he said, smirking pleasantly, "I think it'll really get us somewhere." He smiled and let go of her shoulder. Ruby nodded her head dutifully, doing what she normally would in this situation.

"You bet!" she said happily, giving him a sunny smile before skipping away towards her unfolded tent. She ducked down into her tent and looked at all the things that needed to be packed. Her sleeping bag, an extra blanket, two small books, and Weiss's little mirror she had borrowed. She bit her lip, remembering how she had been expected to return it yesterday, but then decided not to care much. It was just Weiss's mirror, anyway. She didn't care.

She messily rolled up her sleeping bag, stuffing it into her backpack along with the blanket, books, and Weiss's mirror. Cramming it shut, she zipped it closed and hoisted it onto her shoulders. Then she left her tent, ducking under the folds and once again feeling some sort of awkwardness as the roundish firmness of her small bump made itself clear that it was there. It was all so new and strange, that bump, and at the same time, she felt like she was getting quite used to it. All this gradual stuff about becoming more and more pregnant was annoying, like being creeped on by a tiger. And then she wondered when she would feel her baby move. She had always wondered what that felt like for mothers-to-be, and now, she was one. Did it hurt? Did it tickle? Was it small? Annoying? Sweet or fluttery? She had no idea, in fact, she hardly knew anything about this whole thing. But she was going to do this. With Oscar. They would raise this baby with love, and hopefully, they would get married sooner or later.

"I just need to find a way for Jaune to not get upset," she muttered, her head down as she approached the others. They were waiting for the last of the group, who, seeing who was there, were only herself and Oscar. They were mostly ready, their backpacks on their shoulders and their tents all packed. Nora eagerly greeted her friend, waving vigorously for her to come over.

"Hey, Ruby!" she said energetically, "You all ready to go?" She was smiling broadly with her arm around Ren. Boy, did those two seem so close all of a sudden. Ruby smiled and nodded, patting her backpack as she spoke.

"Yep! Got everything in my pack!"

"I hope this operation goes as planned," Blake said in her usual quiet tone, "Because if we fail again, we may _never _get a chance at this again."

Yang rolled her eyes and waved a hand.

"Oh, pshaw, Blakey!" she said cheerfully, wrapping an arm around Blake's shoulders, "We could do this in our sleep! At least...if maybe everybody _else _was asleep, anyway." She stood up straighter and threw on another big smile. "But that's okay! Because we're super awesome, and we're the best group of huntsmen and huntresses to do anything near to this. We've fought plenty of top-notch forces, so this just adds on to the list. We can do this, guys. I can feel it."

"Wow," Weiss said, looking at Yang with her sky blue eyes, "That's...awfully spurring."

Yang nodded. "You bet!" She shifted her attention to Ruby. "You all ready, sis?"

Ruby was about to give Yang a repeat of her answer to Nora, when she suddenly remembered.

_Wait, my tent!_

Ruby swung around, suddenly remembering that she hadn't packed up her tent in her haste. Why was she so absent minded sometimes?

"I'll be right back!" she called as she raced away towards her tent, hoping she wasn't going to delay them any longer. She felt like any wrong step out of place would immediately reveal her secret, and they were just about to leave on an extremely important mission! But just as she looked up at her tent, she saw Oscar, carefully folding up her tent and neatly pulling the case over it. She stopped running and walked the rest of the short distance to where he tent had been. She stepped next to Oscar, smiling with the smallest hint of a blush on her cheeks.

"Thanks," she said, feeling a cozy warmth inside, "I can't believe I'd forgotten."

Oscar looked up from her now packed tent and smiled.

"You bet," he said with a wink, "And everyone forgets something at some point." The two of them started into each other's eyes for a little while, admiring each other and feeling some sort of bond keeping them there, stalling the others. The group, who was watching them from the entrance to the camp, observed this with close eyes. Qrow grumbled something darkly under his breath and looked up, as if purposely avoiding any kind of contact with the scene. Nora only grinned and squinted at them, as if trying to get a better look or something, Yang doing the same.

"Oo," Yang said, getting that playful look she often had, "Look at those two love birds. Although, I thought my little sis was with you, Jaune." Yang's face melted into some sort of insincere confusion. Jaune's face was slightly confused, and almost hurt, but he didn't say anything, but observed the scene.

"No..," he began, watching as Ruby almost seemed to peck Oscar as she passed him, "I...don't know. I mean, I'll admit, I kind of liked-"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Nora shouted, zipping over to him, "You _know _ you like her! Don't deny it, buddy! You know you've had eyes on her since the day Pyrrha died!" Nora's eyes suddenly widened and she shrunk back, seeming deflated. "I'm sorry."

All of the members of team JNPR missed Pyrrha dearly, but Jaune missed her most of all. He had loved her so much, and yet, he hd never _actually _told her how he really felt. Pyrrha had been the one to do that, in a way. And now she was gone, and there was nothing anybody could do. Nearly every mention of her or her name made left Jaune just about in tears. He just wished she could have been there when he had used his semblance for the first time, or when they had decided to make a real difference in the world...

Jaune shook his head, his eyes already shiny. "It's alright." He sighed and wiped at his eyes, shaking his head to clear it, as well as his thoughts of Pyrrha. He needed to leave all of that behind, and just not forget her. How could he. It was impossible.

Ruby was back to the group now, her tent all packed and her backpack full. Oscar had joined her on her way back, and now they were all set to go. Jaune weakly smiled and cleared his throat, forgetting the scene with Ruby and Oscar.

"Alright, guys," he said, taking up a more courageous tone, "You ready to go?"

The group all gave him their affirmative answer, and then he nodded.

"Then let's get going! We'll head to the outside of Argus, and then Weiss will call her dad there." Weiss rolled her eyes. Jaune smiled and then, with a gesture of his hand, began walking, following the trail they had been taking. It was sunny, bright, a cool breeze was blowing, the birds were chirping, and the growing river beside them continued its quite rushing. They mostly just had to follow the river, and then they would find their way into Atlas. Pretty simple, and much easier on Jaune. Plus, the louder the river got, the closer they'd be.

Ruby took in a deep breath of the fresh morning air, trying to forget the looks she had gotten when she had come back from talking to Oscar. She needed to stop worrying so much about her secret and just roll along with the day. The plan. And now they were on the way to Atlas, executing her plan and trying to get both Relics so that they could protect themselves and others from Salem. Ruby tried not to think so much about how long they would have to walk today...and tomorrow...and the many days left to come. At least it wouldn't take as long as it took to walk to Mistral. Boy, had that been a nightmare.

She looked slowly to her left, feeling an unnaturally warm breeze on her cheek, only to be face to face with Qrow. His suddenness and his serious face startled her, making her produce a tiny squeak and jump back a bit. Fortunately, it wasn't noticed by her teammates or friends. But now she was staring at a very solemn Qrow, who didn't look very happy for some reason. She swallowed nervously and smiled.

"Hey, Uncle Qrow!" she said, "Uh, what's up?"

Qrow sighed and locked eyes with her as they walked.

"Ruby," he began, "You've got some explaining to do, you hear me?" He looked hard at her, his maroon gaze seeming to shoot through her and dig into her soul, searching for her unspoken secret. His words bore themselves deep into her pool of fear, and all she could think to do was panic, panic, panic. But she wouldn't. Oscar had spoken against that. She simply swallowed and threw on an innocent look.

"Okay..," she said, trying to get rid of the slight tremble in her voice, "About what?"

Qrow gave her an unamused look and then shook his head. "Your friends don't seem very happy about your little affair with little boy Oz, especially Blondie over there." He gestured towards Jaune, who was leading the group, his back to them. Ruby's eyes widened and she smiled nervously.

"What? No!" she said, sounding like a child about to be punished, "Me and Oscar aren't a 'thing'! He was just helping me out with my tent like any good friend would!"

Qrow just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," he said sarcastically, "And I'm sure he's 'just a friend' when you two randomly sneak into the trees without telling anybody, and 'just a friend' when Nora and Ren find you two in your tent, while you were wearing a tight tank top and leggings, and 'just a friend' while you two constantly hug each other. Yeah, I'm you two aren't a single bit twitterpated."

Ruby sighed and looked down, wishing he wasn't so observing. Probably a huntsman thing.

"Look, we're just really good friends," Ruby said, knowing how weak her side of the argument was, "There's _nothing _else. Seriously!"

Qrow wasn't buying it. He knew Ruby, and he wasn't going to let her hide anything from her. Their previous talk at the other campsite about bad deeds and such had his mind going. Was she concerned about falling in love, and having someone else, someone she wasn't in love with, like her and think that she liked them? If she was in love with Oscar, and Jaune was obviously in love with her, she must be too afraid to tell Jaune, and she didn't want to tell Qrow because she was afraid he'd tell Jaune. It was pretty relieving to know that, much worse things floating around in his mind originally.

"Look, Kiddo," he said, "If you feel all fuzzy about Oscar, that's...fine." He inwardly winced at those words, the thought of Ruby falling in love with _anybody_ sounding bitter and stale in his mind. "But if you've got Juan falling head over heels for you, then you've gotta tell him, or this is going to loop around like a snake bitting its tail."

"It's Jaune."

Ruby looked down, but Qrow lifted her head up by her chin.

"Kid," he said, looking into her eyes with a loving look, "I don't want you to feel like the worst person in existence, okay? But I don't want you to feel like you can just ignore things like a plague or something. Just tell him and get it over with...But try not to break his heart. He's had it hard."

Ruby felt slightly surprised that Qrow had some sort of sympathy for Jaune, seeing how little he cared for most people that weren't his family or friends. But it gave her a little hope for Oscar. But that hope faded to doubt as she really thought about it. Why in Remnant would Qrow take her situation with Oscar lightly? He would explode, then kill Oscar, then banish her to eternal misery. Okay, maybe he wouldn't go that bad, but the chances of something similar weren't very slim.

"Okay," she said softly, "I will."

_Eventually. _

Qrow nodded slowly, and then looked forward, walking in silence. Ruby inwardly breath a huge sigh of relief. Perhaps Qrow thought that her liking Oscar was the issue. If he did, then at least _one _worry was relieved. And one of the larger ones, at least for now. This was still the easier part of her and Oscar's trials. She shook her head and went back to the present, catching on to a sentence that Weiss was in the middle of.

"...and I lastly hope that we don't encounter too many obstacles. We're far enough behind already."

"Yeah," Ruby chimed in, stepping forward a bit, "I hope we don't have to end up fighting a bunch of Grimm. We need to hurry up and get to Argus again. The sooner the better!"

The group nodded in agreement.

"And I'm sure we won't encounter a _single _Grimm at all the short way there," he mumbled under his breath. Ruby slightly elbowed him.

"Aw, c'mon, Uncle Qrow!" she said cheerfully, "I'm sure we'll be fine!"

Qrow gave her a look that said, _Yeah, Kiddo. As if my semblance didn't exist whatsoever. _Ruby simply rolled her eyes and gave a slight giggle. She returned his look with one that said, _Nah, we'll be fine! We can fight, you know._

Qrow just sighed and kept looking forward.

It had only been about an hour when Ruby's feet had begun to hurt already. She was hot from the sun, thirsty, her stomach kept rumbling, her legs and feet were tired, and she just wanted to lie down. It was actually quite a hot day, the sky perfectly cloudless, allowing the scorching sun to beat down on the group. They were all tired and hot from the sun by now, but Ruby was the most exhausted. Everything hit her harder than everyone else. Oscar seemed to notice her fatigue, and glanced at her over his shoulder, gesturing towards Jaune. Ruby shook her head slightly, assuring him that they shouldn't stop, but a slight wave of dizziness caused her to stumble. Qrow caught her arm in time, jerking her up with a look of worry.

"You okay, Short Stack?" he asked, concerned. Ruby nodded her head and gave a nervous laugh.

"Yep!" she panted, "I'm fine! Just super tired from the sun. I'm melting!"

Jaune, who had heard the mild disturbance, looked over his shoulder and observed the group. Yes, everyone looked hot and tired, but Ruby looked _very _hot and tired. Perhaps it was because she was the youngest of the group. Maybe she hadn't quite shaken off the weakness from her previous sickness.

"You okay?" he asked, arousing the attention of the others, who were plodding along without much thought. It was that hot out. Ruby answered with a nod, that simple movement making her head spin a little. As much as she hated dizziness and would try almost anything to get it to stop, she didn't make a single face that would show her mental thoughts. She just swallowed hard and kept her head up. Oscar gave her a sympathetic look and then continued walking. He was worried about her more, now. She didn't seem to be doing too well.

_Hopefully this heat isn't too much for her. The again, it's pretty hard on most of us, not just her. But she's so much more delicate than everyone else! What happens if she gets too hot? Will her temperature go up, and then will the heat cook our baby?! _

He suddenly realized just how silly and over exaggerating he was being at the moment. The heat had seemed to get into his head too. He wiped his sweaty forehead and kept on walking, eager to find a good point to stop and rest. He had wanted to suggest that earlier, when Ruby had first stumbled, or whatever she did, but she had insisted they didn't. Sometimes Ruby was just too determined, and that could lead to loss or pain.

_Maybe I should ask for a break now..._

He was just opening his mouth to request the break, when a fierce growl cut him off, rousing the others from their heat daze. Everyone's gaze snapped to the left, their eyes wide and alert their bodies tense and ready. They pulled out their weapons, loaded them, and immediately spread out, eager to destroy whatever it was that lurked in the trees and bushes. Ruby swallowed, incredibly nervous. She didn't feel like fighting, especially now, while she was hot, tired, and trained.

More growls and snarls came from the shadows of the bushes and trees, and then glowing, fierce, yellow eyes appeared, several pairs, glaring at them and burning into their souls. The dark red smoke that always wafted from their eyes appeared as well, as they slowly came into the light. Only their big, ugly heads showed, the bony white plates masking their hideous, black faces. It was a big pack of Ursa _and _Beowolves, not like those were super hard to defeat or anything, but rather the weather and how many were lurking there, ready to attack and rip everything apart.

The first thing Oscar did was jump in front of Ruby, pulling out his cane and holding it out in front of him, ready to attack. Ruby felt immediate affection, moved by how ready Oscar was to defend her. But then she realized that she was the only one who hadn't puled out her weapon yet, and she was quick to do so. Grabbing Crescent Rose, she swung her around and unfolded her into her beautiful scythe form, stabbing it into the ground. Jaune gave a nod at her and eagerly ran forward, his sword arced high above his head.

The pack of Grimm suddenly stood on their hind legs, and then leaped high into the air, just about on him. But just as the first one was about to smash its horrible claws into Jaune's face, he swung his sword, slicing it through the middle into two. The two halves flew to the side and Jaune quickly held up his shield, another Beowolf slamming into it and knocking Jaune back slightly. He stepped down hard on the Grimm that had fallen from his shield, stabbed his sword into its head, and then sliced his sword wildly at the many Grimm around him. He was slightly impressed at himself, not having fought like that since...well, since Pyrrha had last fought with him in Breach.

While Jaune had been slicing that first Grimm, Blake and Yang had both aimed two shots at three other Grimm that were aimed at Jaune, shooting them and causing them to fall backwards, dead. Ren and Nora also wasted no time and raced at the pack, weapons ready. Nora shot a big pink bullet at two Grimm just on Jaune's tail, exploding them in a pink cloud and ending them. Ren raced at one, sliced its neck three times with three brisk movements, and the kicked it back at Nora, who slammed her hammer into it. It faded into black mist upon impact.

Weiss had formed a series of black glyphs under several Grimm, holding them down. Yang glanced over just in time to see Ruby signaling for her to look at Weiss. Yang whipped around, noticed the row of Grimm rooted to their spots, and then grinned, shooting both her gauntlet and her arm shot, and propelling her forward at high speed. She smashed every Grimm in her way, finishing off her finale with leap off of Jaune's shield and a nice fist to the face of an Ursa.

Meanwhile, Oscar had been whacking Grimm with his cane surprisingly strong. Every hit was aura charged, and then, after he felt he was getting a little low on aura, he twisted the handle of the cane to the the right, and it started making clicking sounds as the gears ground together. The smooth stick of his cane suddenly shot back, but instead of the whole staff part going into the handle, there was a shiny, silver blade there, sharper than any blade anyone had ever seen. Whipping it back, he sliced an _Ursa _in half, the long way, like a filet knife through a banana. And then be began slicing Grimm into pieces, turning them into virtual chunks. He was soon joined by Qrow, who began hacking up the other Grimm that crowded the area. There were a lot more than they had first seen.

Ruby stood there, watching and monitoring what was happening with eagle eyes. The group was totally smashing these Grimm with decent ease, and they didn't need her help. She would just worry them. But maybe if she helped just a little, nobody would get suspicious of her anymore. Observing the scene, she decided that they might as well get this whole fight over with.

"Guys!" she shouted, catching everyone's attention, "Clear out! Nora, get ready!"

The group raced away, Nora the only one remaining. They shot at the Grimm as they ran away, shaping the Grimm into a sort of line-crowd, Nora climbing wildly up a thick tree. Ruby pulled out her lightning dust pack, loaded her barrel, and then aimed it carefully at Nora, slowly sliding her finger to the trigger. Once Nora was nice and high on the the peak of the tree, she gave her a thumbs up, and Ruby pressed the trigger. The shot of lightening sped to Nora, hitting her hard and exploding her in lightning. The she ran a few steps, jumped, and then landed in a huge, pink explosion, smashing the crowd of Grimm in lightning and causing a huge cloud of dust to rise up.

When the dust cleared, Nora was standing here, her hammer slung across her shoulder and her hand on her hip, grinning. A heap of dead Grimm lay behind her, only about 2 or 3 remaining. The small amount of Grimm wined and then suddenly raced away, disappearing into the trees. Nora walked back to the group, smiling smugly as a cloud of black mist rose up behind her as the Grimm faded away, leaving a large dent in the ground where Nora had landed.

There was a moment of silence as the group watched the Grimm fade, and then they all began to cheer, high fiving each other and complementing each other's skills. Ruby felt relieved that she and Nora had been able to finish them off, _together_. It made her feel a little less...useless. As she folded Crescent Rose back up and put it away, she saw Oscar approaching her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, just like he always did when something exciting happened to her. Ruby nodded.

"Yep! I hardly had to do anything." She shrugged and smiled.

"Well, I'm gonna go as Jaune for a little break," he said, looking up towards Jaune, who was talking to Qrow, "I'll be right back." Oscar lightly touched her shoulder, smiled, and then walked away, leaving Ruby to Yang, who was approaching her. Ruby felt Yang's strong grip on her shoulders as her sister dumped herself on her back, weighing her down and making them both fall onto the ground.

"Yang!" Ruby wined, "Why do you do that?! Stop it!" Yang was laughing as she pulled herself off of the ground and as she brushed the dust off her legs and hair. Ruby jumped to her feet and angrily rubbed a small spot of dirt off her sleeve. Yang swung her head back, and then forward, purposely giving Ruby a face full of thick golden hair. Ruby had accidentally gotten some in her mouth, and she quickly spit it out, stepping back and rubbing her face. Yang's hair had been tickly.

"Stop it, Yang!" she squeaked in her high voice. Yang just fell over into more peels of laughter, clutching her side to stifle the pain of her laughter. She staggered over to Ruby and fuzzed the top of her hair.

"Oh, sis," she said, her laughter melted down to giggling, "I love you so much. You're so silly." She patted Ruby's back and started walking away towards Blake. But Ruby turned around, eager to return the affection.

"I love you too!" she answered. Yang squinted and stuck her tongue out.

"Nah," she called back, "I love you more!" She laughed and then walked away with Blake, eager to get a drink of water and sit in the shade.

Ruby sighed with a smile and shook her head. Yang was the best sister ever, and no one could ever ask for a better sibling. But her love and happiness of Yang suddenly melted into guilt. Her smiled slowly faded and she lowered her head, looking down at her barely visible stomach. She unconsciously rubbed her hand over it, feeling its firmness and some sort of warmth about it, imagining what the baby inside looked like. But she quickly jerked her hand back, realizing how risky that had been. Glancing around, she breathed a sigh of relief to find that nobody had seen her. And then Jaune locked eyes with her, startling her for some reason.

"Hey, Ruby," he called, jogging over to her, "Nice thinking, you and Nora's team attack. It really finished the job last minute." He smiled and rubbed the back of his head. Ruby smiled nervously and nodded.

"Yeah!" she said, also rubbing the back of her head, "Me and Nora made it up on the way to Haven. One of our random chatting while you and Ren fought over the map." She giggled at her last line and shook her head. "I kinda miss traveling with you guys."

Jaune shrugged and smiled. "Well, you're kind of doing that right now. Just with more people."

Ruby tilted her head to the side and looked at all the others. "Yeah. Sort of."

Jaune sighed and stretched. "Well, I'm gonna get some water. Nice job." And he walked away towards his pack. Ruby quickly turned around.

"Hey, nice hustle back there!" she called back, earning a nod and a smile from Jaune. She sighed and turned around, pulling her hood a little closer to herself. She really missed Summer right now, and just wanted a hug, one more time. The last thing she had ever done with Summer was give her a long, warm hug. And then she died, and now it was just her hood that she had left of her.

"Mom," Ruby whispered, holding up her hood to her face and wiping her already wet eyes, "I miss you a lot right now. Please help me and and Oscar get through this. It's really hard and I know you would know what to do." She sniffed and swallowed down a parade of sobs wanting to make squeeze out of her mouth. Wiping her eyes one more time, she took in a deep breath of the muggy air and sighed.

"Don't let the emptiness and sadness take the place of you."

* * *

**Welp, at least this chapter didn't take forever to write and post. I didn't have any delays this time! Yaaaaaaaaay...But anyway.**

**Yes, that last line is based off of a lyric from Red Like Roses Pt.2, even though I'm pretty sure most of you know that. I guess this not was mostly for the people who watch(ed) the show, but don't really listen to the soundtrack. And the name of this chapter is Latin, by the way.**

**Thanks for reading and stay tuned from more chapters!**


	8. All Set

"I don't know if it'll work," Weiss said, hesitance strong in her voice, "I _ran away_, only like, three weeks ago, mind you."

The group, after walking for a few more hours, had halted about two days from Atlas's main gate, in a secluded forest that stood right in between Argus and Atlas. It was an unsupervised plot of land, belonging to Atlas, but ran or owned by nobody in particular. It grew right alongside the river, which was now a roaring and crashing river. Much larger, grander, and scarier than their previous gentle stream. Occasional Atlesian ships would make an appearance here and there in the air, many of them military ships.

The appearance of cargo ships had reduced greatly after the Fall of Beacon, due to the suspicion of all the Atlesian soldiers attacking the citizens. Nearly nobody other than a few huntsmen and huntresses, as well as team RWBY and JNR knew that Roman Torchwick and Cinder had been responsible for that, and so, many people, as well as the other kingdoms, were wary against Atlas, even though it was truly innocent.

"Would you _please _stop suggesting that," Yang said, getting irritated at Weiss continuous complaining.

"It _has _been getting rather irritating," Blake added in agreement.

"Look," Weiss said, getting annoyed, "I'm _just saying_; I've only showed anger, resentment, and friction towards anything that had to do with my father and our home. And then I ran away, technically twice. What makes you think that he'd just accept everything I've done and just did, and then believe that I suddenly want to go back?"

Ren sighed and shook his head.

"You told us that many times, and now I am quite certain we all understand," Ren said calmly, "We are just growing a little jaded of your hesitance to comply."

Weiss's eyes narrowed and her teeth clenched. She stepped forward, her hands clenched into fists, and looked angrily at the group.

"Oh, my hesitance to talk to someone who used me as a pawn for his money, cares _nothing _for me, my sister, or my mother, married into my family for fame, and stripped me of my rightful place as heiress is getting irritating?" Weiss snapped, "Well, _I'm sorry_!" She rolled her eyes and waved her hand, placing it on her hip and tilting herself to the side. "Maybe we should see how patient _you'll _be if we have you talk to someone who's controlled and hurt _you_, hm?"

"Weiss, we didn't mean it like that-" Blake began, trying not to start another huge argument, but Weiss cut her off, stepping forward and shoving her face into Blake's.

"Oh, why don't you try talking to Adam, after he stabbed you and cut off Yang's arm, hm?" she shot, sarcasm and anger dripping off her words, "Or after you abandoned him and then _killed _him, after making a promise to him that you would be there for him at all times?"

Blakes' eyes widened and she shrunk back a little, wrapping her arms around herself as if she was cold. Tears slowly brimmed as Weiss continued shouting at her teammates and friends, anger making her heart hard and frozen.

"Or how about Raven?" Weiss continued, stepping in front of Yang and shoving her finger into her face, "After she abandoned you as a baby and then only saved you once, saying that she'd never do it again, not to mention leaving you with the Haven Relic, knowing it would paint a target on your back that could get you killed. Nice mom, huh?"

"Weiss, that's not what-" Yang protested, taking a step forward, but Weiss moved on, now glaring at Ruby, looking down on her as she was taller than her leader.

"Or how about you try talking to Cinder," she jeered, her temper rising to its peak, "After she forced Pyrrha into destroying Penny, and then killing her later. And after she hunted you down and tried to kill you so many times, putting _all of our lives _in danger. I bet you're feeling pretty eager to talk to her, huh, including after that time where she _impaled _me and nearly killed Jaune. Oh! And how could we forget? The _entire occupation of Haven Academy_!"

Weiss stood there, looking more like a villain herself than a poor, abused, lonely huntress. Panting from her yelling spree, she suddenly realized that Ruby was crying. A trail of tears had trickled down her cheeks and gathered at her chin, dripping off onto the front of her hood. Her silver eyes were glistening and full of sorrow and hurt, more than Weiss had ever seen in her lifetime. The she stepped back, realizing what she had just done.

"Oh my gosh..," she said, putting her hands over her mouth, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean-" She gave up and buried her face in her hands. Ruby wiped her eyes as Oscar put his hand on her shoulder. She sniffed and looked down, deeply wounded. Any mention of Pyrrha, Penny, what her presence had brought to them, or her mother had her nearly crying. But _this_. This was all just too negative and sorrowing. It was all she could do to keep herself from running off into the forest and hiding for a long time.

"Look," Weiss said, uncovering her face and sighing, "I'm really sorry. I just felt like nobody cared or knew how it felt like to be in my shoes. But I was wrong, and I'm sorry. All of you. Could you just forgive me? _Please_?"

She looked hopefully at the group, who had all been looking down. Negativity attracted Grimm, but no one cared right now. Team RWBY was hurt, and the others were saddened by Weiss icy insults. But they all slowly nodded their heads, except for Ruby who tried not to show her silent sobs that melted in her throat and left it aching.

"We forgive you," Jaune said, his voice low. Ren nodded, followed by Nora, Yang, and Blake.

"We do too," Ren said with a light smile. Weiss smiled at them and then looked at Ruby, hurt that Ruby didn't reply or agree.

"Ruby?" she asked softly. Ruby looked slowly up, her face filled with grief and sadness in the worst way. Weiss's face changed as she recognized this face. It was exact face Ruby had made after she had yelled at her about bossing her around, back in Beacon while she had been fighting the Boarbatusk. Weiss sighed and waited for Ruby to respond. Ruby just looked at Weiss with that heart-wrenching look, and then swallowed.

"It's fine," she said quietly, her voice barely audible. Weiss felt mostly relieved about this, but she was still sorry for her previous action, and felt like maybe Ruby was still hurt. Of course she was; it had _just _happened only a minute ago. Weiss just sighed and looked down, feeling uneasy and sad. What else could she do, anyway. She had yelled her mind at Ruby and Ruby wasn't fully accepting her apology. That was, in a way, her own fault. She would just have to deal with it until the fresh hurt healed. That was how one got stronger.

Weiss sighed and turned around, facing the rest of the group.

"Look," she said, that saltyish tone in her voice, "Just to make it clear, if this plan fails, then we'll _never _get another chance of using me to Atlas _again_. No matter if I'm actually telling the truth or just lying, he'll never let me back home ever-" She paused, as if realizing what she was saying, and her eyes widened suddenly. Then her face relaxed and some sort of smugness seemed to come over her, with a side of calm and serenity, as if everything was going to be alright after all. Taking a small, short breath and then exhaling she smiled softly.

"You know what," she said, stepping backwards, "It's alright. Don't worry about it."

The group exchanged glances, confused at Weiss's _very _sudden change of mind. But Jaune shrugged, giving Ruby and Qrow both a side glance before he answered her, neither confused nor wary of it. "Okay then...I guess we could go ahead and call him now, if you'd like?"

Weiss turned around, her back facing the group so they couldn't see her smug smirk as she crossed her arms over her chest. "It would be my pleasure."

* * *

"You ready?" Jaune asked.

Weiss stood there, her back to the group and her scroll held out in front of her with her father's number dialed, her finger hovering over the call button. Although she seemed relatively calm, and all of the tentativeness of earlier had been thrown out durning their previous discussion, she was trembling slightly, a mix of fear, anger, and nervousness on her face. But she bit her lip and nodded her head in some sort of determination.

"Yes."

Jaune nodded slowly and stepped away from her, falling in line with the others, who were standing in a nearly straight line behind Weiss. Ruby sighed and looked down, then looked up at Jaune.

"It's too bad she's super scared of just talking to her dad," she said, earning a nod from Jaune, "But I'm just not quite sure why she suddenly seemed more eager to do it just before."

Jaune shrugged. "I dunno, but at least she's doing it now."

Most of the group seemed down for whatever reason, even though this wasn't exactly a problem that they themselves had to deal with. Perhaps it was simply the anticipation of hoping that Weiss's call would work. Weiss's argument earlier had also put a little weight on the group, but it was mostly faded now, as most of them had simply forgiven her. It wasn't really a big deal, anyway, and everyone made mistakes. But what she had said was true. Why _would _Jaques believe Weiss, after she had just recently run away and had shown and had _been _showing total resentment towards him and their home for who knew how many years.

Weiss took a deep breath, running once more over the fake event she and the group had decided on for Weiss's "desperation" to get back home to her father. And then, with her heart thumping in her chest and a little bit of sweat beginning to form on her neck, she forced herself to press down on the call button on her scroll. The dialing sounds played and then her scroll began to vibrate, indicating that she was now calling her father.

Taking a deep breath and flicking her hair casually to the side, she sighed and melted her face into a heartbroken, absolutely miserable expression, tears actually rising in her eyes and her chin quivering. the group saw her do this, and they were a bit taken aback. Who knew she was so good at making realistic faces. Weiss wished her father would just pick up already, as her impatience was growing and she just wanted to get over with this. Sniffing and trying to layer onto her already sorrowful face and mindset, she waited for her father to pick up. To her surprise, he didn't and his voicemail answered for her in an automated female voice.

Frowning, she called him again, waiting for an answer. The result was the same, and Weiss felt angrier.

_At least it'll make me look even more desperate to get ahold of him._

She called him again and again, adding to the group's nervousness, and then, with a suddenness that startled her a bit, Weiss heard the sickly smoothness of her father's voice, answering at long last.

"This must be very important for you to call me this many times."

Weiss almost spat at the sound of his voice, as she could hardly bear it, but instead, she sniffed and swallowed a fake sob, adding a pause for effect.

"Father?"

"What is it, Weiss. I have a business to run and not much room to run it," he answered, his voice carrying impatience and irritancy.

"Oh, Father!" Weiss suddenly cried, sounding so realistically miserable that the group almost thought she really felt that way, "I'm so sorry! You were right; I _should've _stayed at home. I never should've left in the first place, and I shouldn't have run away after you took me home from Beacon. I didn't realize that you only wanted to keep me safe, and I was only thinking about Winter and about how much _I _wanted to be free. But I _am _free with you; I just didn't realize it. I'm so sorry!"

Weiss inwardly winced at every word she said, ever voice in her head gagging and disagreeing at the sound of those words. But she kept her voice sorrowful and sincere, hoping she hadn't sounded absolutely ridiculous. There was a pause on the line, and Weiss simply filled it in with small sobs and sniffs, hoping to add some effect. And then he answered in a low and slightly wary voice.

"What happened, my dear?"

"I-I was with my team," Weiss began, sniffing and trying to sound like she was holding back a flood of emotion, "We were trying to go and "save the world" I told you. But then...th-then..." She teared up and began to cry, looking so sad that team RWBY wanted to go and comfort her, but they had to remind themselves that it was all a gig. Weiss was just extremely good at acting.

"Then what?" Jaques asked, slightly curious.

"Th-then w-we were attacked," Weiss continued, acting as if she was trying to gather herself, "By Grimm. They destroyed our camp, they hurt my friends...and they killed..." She silently cried for a few seconds before answering again, her voice cracking. "They killed Ruby."

Ruby's eyes widened, surprised that Weiss had chosen _her _of all of her friends to be the subject of sorrow. Sure, Ruby had always wanted to be Weiss best friend forever, but Weiss had never seemed to feel the same. Of course, Weiss was definitely her friend, but to act like she was completely heartbroken because of her death was really touching. Maybe Weiss _did _want to be her best friend forever.

"Isn't Ruby your team leader?" Jaques asked. Weiss nodded, purposely letting her scroll move with her.

"Yes. But she was also my-my best friend."

"I see."

"Please...take me home. I-I'm so sorry that I let you down so many times. I _promise _never to stray again, and I promise I'll do whatever you want with an eager heart. Just _please _take me home away from all these chaotic people. I see now why you didn't want me to leave. I'm _so _sorry. Could you ever forgive me?"

"Well, my dear, I have to say that I'm shocked that you are so eager to come back. But the flames of hardship can refine you, just as we cleans our dust crystals with fire to make them perfect and clear. Where are you?"

"I-I'm actually not far away from home right now. I'm right in between Argus and the gate to Atlas."

"Well, you and your group certainly did a good job making it that far, through Argus."

"Well...that doesn't matter anymore."

"Are you hurt?"

"Kind of. Nothing my aura can't heal, but I'll be fine."

"I'll fly over myself. Try to signal to me as I fly over, and I'll land."

"Thank you, Father. I'll signal to you with fire, if that works for you."

"It is doable. It will be good to have you home again, my dear."

"I-I can't wait to see you again, Father. Thank you."

"Of course, my dear. I will see you soon."

And with that, he hung up, and Weiss stood there, her scroll to her ear and her hand holding her elbow nervously. She slowly lowered her scroll and ended the call, staring at a while at the screen. Her face was tear stained and wet, and she still looked sad, which slightly concerned the others. And suddenly, Weiss fell to her knees, _actually _crying, her hands covering her face.

Jaune ran over, skidding to a halt beside her like he had in Haven when she had been impaled. He put a hand on her shoulder and looked softly at her, worried. Weiss continued to cry, and then suddenly jumped into Jaune's arms, burying her face into his chest. Jaune was very surprised, as his arms didn't close around her in a hug, but remained out in confusion. But his face softened and he hugged her back, closing his eyes and holding her as she clung to him.

The group smiled, and Nora put her hands on her cheeks.

"Awwww!" she said, "They're so cute together!" She gave Ren a big side hug, nearly knocking him over, and held on tight, giggling. Meanwhile, Ruby smiled softly, feeling a little hope as to her situation with Jaune. If Weiss liked him for real, like she had told her earlier, and Jaune gave up on Ruby and let Oscar have her, then maybe Jaune could end up happily with Weiss and she could say with Oscar. Then maybe the strain on their relationship could ease and disappear.

"What was that?" Yang asked as Jaune and Weiss returned to the group after Weiss had stopped crying and collected herself. Weiss sniffed and wiped her eyes, turning to Yang and allowing Jaune to pass her.

"It's kind of sad when you have to completely leave behind all your hopes, dreams, and friends, just to get your father's love and attention," she answered, sniffing again and then following after Jaune. Yang blinked and then looked down, nodding her head a little. She had actually been referring to Weiss hugging Jaune, but that was an alright answer. Yang leaned back so that her and Blake were neck and neck.

"That's depressing," she whispered, leaning her head back forward. Although Yang enjoyed having a smaller group than the gang back at Beacon, she still missed a few people. For instance, she missed Pyrrha, as well as many of her friends from Signal that had graduated with her. She also sort of missed Neptune, in a weird way, and Sun. Yang grinned as she remembered how Blake had been all fuzzy about Sun, always talking about her feelings towards him whenever she and Yang were alone. Yang had gladly given her some advice of her own, most of which Blake had declined, and now Blake didn't have Sun.

"Hey Blake," Yang asked, leaning backwards, "Miss Sun yet?"

Blake's eyes widened and she gave Yang one of her glares. "Stop reminding me. What does that matter to you?" she hissed, clearly trying to cover up her heartache of him being gone. Yang chuckled.

"I like romance," she said back, licking her lips, "And when my best friend is involved in a relationship, I really am a part of it, if you think about it." She giggled when Blake rolled her eyes and looked away, avoiding admitting that Yang was right. Yang stuck out her tongue and headed for the trees.

"I'm always right!" she said teasingly, waving her arms for the others to join her, "C'mon guys! It's time to hide. Weiss's dad is coming soon, and we can't mess this up, 'kay?"

The group nodded and quickly headed for the trees, ducking under low branches and stepping over roots. Weiss came with, purposely allowing her dress, leggings, and scarf to catch onto the sharper branches and roots, ripping them a little and adding some leaves as well.

Blake bent down and scooped up a handful of mud, rubbing it in her hands and walking over to Weiss. Nodding to her and getting a nod in response, she carefully began smearing little bits of mud here and there, making Weiss surprisingly realistically battered looking. As an artist, she really had the knack for good proportions. After she had finished with the mud, she took hold of the skirt of Weiss dress and carefully tore it a few inches, giving it a good post-battle look.

"Okay," she said, stepping back and looking at her work, "I know this may sound a little painful or annoying, but I'm going to need you to take your aura down. I'm going to cut you a little and scrape you some."

Weiss narrowed her eyes, but nodded. Taking in a slight breath, her aura flashed down, light blue. Blake unhesitantly pulled out one of her broken Gambol Shroud pieces, one of the blade parts, and walked back up to Weiss, the blade out. Weiss shut her eyes tightly, knowing that this was all necessary, and braced herself.

The group winced and looked away as Blake calmly sliced Weiss's palm open, blood spilling out onto her hand and the blade. Weiss took in a deep breath through her nostrils, but held surprisingly still, well disciplined. Blake then bent down, making smaller cuts were she had torn her leggings, and then smearing some of the little blood for emphasis. Standing back up, she carefully held the blade to Weiss's face, tracing her cheek bone with it and then slowly slicing down the side of her face, from her mid-cheek to just above her chin.

That cut had looked the most painful, but also kind of cool, bleeding bright red down her face and dripping off her chin onto her dress. Weiss opened her eyes, revealing shaking pupils and pain in that sea of sky blue. Her mouth was clenched and her chin quivered, but she kept her mouth shut and said nothing, looking down at Blake's work.

The group all painfully nodded, sad but relieved that Weiss _did _looked battered up. Defeated and injured some, and without any friends to be there by her side. Abandoned and alone. Worthless and nothing. Just like Jaques had told her she'd be if she went out again. Of course, Weiss _did _have friends by her side, and she _wasn't _abandoned, alone, or defeated. It was all a gig, but it was a painful gig, and Weiss wished _she _didn't have to be the main victim in it. But she just wanted to help the group, and they just so happened to need to get into Atlas, with her in their group. It all worked out _perfectly_.

"You okay?" Jaune asked, a pained expression on his face. he almost appeared to have tears in his eyes. Weiss slowly nodded, swallowing hard.

"I'm going to head out to the clearing," she whispered, her voice also sad, "Better signal to him with fire." She smiled weakly and then turned around, disappearing through the tangled mass of trees and bushes. The group stood there, watching her go, and then turned to Jaune.

"Now what?" Yang asked, her voice rid of any sorrow or depression. Just some sort of eagerness to carry on with the plan. Jaune shrugged and sighed, sadness in it.

"I guess we wait," he answered. The group all nodded dutifully, each of them hoping the wait wouldn't be too long. Qrow sighed, one of his exhasperated, raspy sigh and pulled out his flask, taking a long swig. Ruby frowned, always angered at the sight of that silver flask. She hated everything about alcohol; how it smelled, how it looked, what it did, its purpose. And her own uncle consumed that stuff.

Meanwhile, Oscar stood behind Ruby, nervously considering their plan and its execution. He didn't want Ruby to end up in some horribly fierce combat, stuck fighting with all her energy. She would pass out for sure, long before it would end. Their baby could die, and Ruby would get badly injured, and in her weak state, maybe even...

_No, don't think like that, _Oscar said to himself, shaking the horrid thoughts from his head, _Ruby is strong and smart. She wouldn't allow herself or our baby to get into such danger. But then again...how could she help it? She barely has an control over what happens anymore! _

Oscar sighed with exasperation and wiped his slightly sweaty forehead. The shade of the trees was more than welcomed by the group, but the air remained muggy and humid, and the heat was still more than draining. At least the sun was beating down on them, burning at their skin. All the crazy stress of keeping Ruby safe and keeping her looking innocent was weighing down on him harder everyday. But he knew he had to press on and be a real man. Weather Ozpin decided to support them or not, he would do whatever he could to keep Ruby and the baby safe, even if it killed him. He had promised her that, too.

"You okay, Kid?" Qrow asked, looking up from his flask. Oscar sighed and nodded wiping his brow again. "Yeah. It's just crazy hot out."

Qrow nodded slowly and took another drink. "Makin' my drink warm," he mumbled to himself. He screwed the the cap back on his flask and tucked it away, resorting his hands to his pockets. He looked around at all the people who were there. There because of Ruby's eagerness to set things right; there to help save those who couldn't protect themselves; there for each other, and yet, why was he here?

He was there to protect his daughter and because she had insisted on him staying. And to be honest, he was also there because he was too afraid of loosing her. He didn't want to loose the only person left dear to him. He just couldn't. If he lost Ruby, his little ray of hope and light, the only thing keeping him going, and the smile on his mouth, he would likely commit suicide. Maybe go off and halfheartedly fight a stupidly large amount of Grimm.

Sighing again, he pulled out his flask again, took a quick swig, and then tucked it away.

"I just hope Weiss is okay," Ruby said slowly, looking down unconsciously at the hardly noticeable bump on her stomach, "I'd never let her go through anything like that again."

Yang nodded, her hand on her hip. "Yeah, and to go through all that mud and blood just to let us go into Atlas? She's really proving herself now." She tossed her thick mass of golden hair to the side and let it swing around behind her until it steadied a moment later. Jaune just looked down, sighed, and then straightened up.

"Guys," he said, catching their attention, "I need you all to focus on this mission. One small step out of plan and we're all done for." He held out his hand and hit it with his fist for emphasis. "So it's important not to get distracted by anything and to keep our eyes fixed on our plan, got it?"

The group nodded dutifully. Qrow rolled his eyes and grunted, fixing his gaze on a patch of moss by his feet. But a hand rested itself gently on his arm, making him look up. It was Ruby, her face pleading for him to step out of the shadows and try not to be so glum. He could tell by her face that was what she meant and wanted, having seen that face so many times.

"Hey," she said softly, "You okay?"

Sighing and then smiling lightly at her, he nodding slowly. "Yeah."

Ruby smiled softly and then nodded. "Okay." And then she turned back towards Jaune and listened to his further instructions.

Ruby still looked so young, so frail. And right now, she looked _really _frail. He wasn't even sure what made her look so frail at the moment, but she just did. Maybe the heat was really getting to her, like it had earlier when she stumbled. Concern filled him. If she had stumbled from the heat earlier and now she look especially delicate right now, maybe she should take it easier now or something. Maybe she should take on an easier portion of this mission.

_Maybe she should've even participate at all! _

Qrow shook that thought out of his head, realizing that he was acting too much like Tai; overprotective and underestimating his offspring. It was true. He thought Yang hadn't been ready to go out into the world, and countless times he had talked to him about Ruby being too young for Beacon or for going off and doing the type of "hero work" she was doing now.

Inwardly cursing himself, he stood up slightly straighter and sighed. Ruby was strong, smart, and skilled in combat. Skilled enough to get Ozpin to move her up two years and to succeed far better than two immature graduates on the train to Atlas. He could trust her, and hopefully, she could trust him.

_I just hope I haven't been braking that trust by everything I've caused this whole time..._

Meanwhile, Weiss stood in the clearing, her sword out straight in front of her, the dial on the hilt poised on fire dust. The pain from her fresh cuts and scrapes was slowly irritating her more and more, stinging, poking, wincing pain. But she brushed it off, knowing that as soon as her father picked her up, those minor injuries would have no problem healing up.

Taking one last look at her thin silver sword, she ran her hand down the smooth metal surface of it, hoping she wouldn't have it locked up in some room of the mansion. Knowing her father, he might do such, just to make sure she wasn't trying anything. She would need to show no hesitance at his demand of doing it, and maybe even agree with it. Glaring down at her ripped and dirt dress, she sighed, looked up, and then took a deep breath, holding her sword close to her face.

Focusing, she slowly slid her finger across the blade, a line of fire following, and then, snapping her eyes open, she let loose a large pillar of fire into the air, several glyphs forming a path for the burning flames. Each glyph spun at a medium pace, keeping the fire radiating from each one, sustaining her beacon for her father.

As she stood there, keeping her sword in position and focusing on keeping her glyphs going, she sighed, lowing her head. For the longest time, she had always wanted her father gone, out of her life completely, but now she was _beaconing _for him to come, purposely.

_But at least you don't actually mean what you're going to do next. You just need to __pretend._

After only about a half our of Weiss's flaming beacon and the group waiting patiently in the woods with Blake explaining stealth, a smaller Atlesian ship was spotted, flying towards them and leaving behind a trail of exhaust. Weiss waited a little longer for the ship to come closer before finally relaxing and allowing her glyphs to fad away, letting the fire die away in the air.

Panting slightly, Weiss stood there, her heat thumping wildly in her chest and sweat from her semblance and her nervousness streaking down her face and neck. She reevaluated the plan in her mind, over and over again, and then what she planned on doing and saying, every motion sounding bitter and fake. But she knew this was necessary, and she was going to do it. She could barely hear the group in the trees whispering harshly to each other, rustling around in there and moving around. It made her nervous, but she didn't look over by them or say anything.

Instead, she simply stood there, watching the ship as it got nearer and nearer. Slowly sinking into her acting sense and jerking her mindset into the plan, her face began to melt into a hopeless, flat look, the kind she often made when she found at that something she was trying to do was hopeless. The ship nearing, her allies in the trees quieting, and her face and mind now perfectly prepared for the rocky journey that lay before her, Weiss closed her eyes, and waiting.

It wasn't very long before Weiss started to feel the warm air blowing out from the Atlesian ship as it prepared to land. She didn't even need to open her eyes to know that it was landing now, and she waited as the air got hotter and stronger, blowing her alabaster hair around and wiping the skirt of her dress around with her red scarf. And soon enough, the loud rumbling of the ship landing stopped, now replaced by the gentle purring of the motor.

Keeping her eyes closed, she slowly grabbed her elbow, pawing shamefully at the ground below her. The sound of a few feet landing on the dirt, guns moving around in their arms, and the low talking of Atlesian guards talking became audible and then, with a prickling sensation down her back, Weiss heard the main door of the ship open, and then the sound of another pair of feet stepping neatly out and then standing there.

Weiss just stood there, partially flinching from the fact that her father was there and partially because she was suppose to be flinching from shame. She could almost _feel _his presence in front of her, _feel _his icy blue gaze on her, _feel _the feelings and thoughts in his head. And then, in his usual, sickly sweet voice, Jaques spoke.

"Hello, my dear."

* * *

**Oh boy. Not looking forward to writing Jaques the rude and naughty dad. I also need to keep the focus on the main plot; Ruby and Oscar trying to deal with this baby! Anyway, please write reviews, I find those helpful, useful, and fun to read, even the critical ones. And sorry AGAIN for the MASSIVE delay!**

**I got lice, and then of course, I had to spend time dealing with that. And then I had a full week of crazy business, so this chapter was late again. Shouldn't be a problem for a while, though, thankfully, at least after next week. **

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters! **


	9. The Ship Ride There

Weiss stood there, her father's sentence echoing in her ears and making her stomach bubble with anger and hate. Whenever he called her "my dear", it irked her far more than when he made his annoying demands or overpowered anything she said with his authority. Probably because she _wasn't _"his dear", and because he used that rem far too often.

Taking a deep breath and filling her eyes with a fresh supply of tears, she slowly opened her eyes, revealing shiny, heartbroken, sky blue eyes swimming in tears. Her lip slightly quivering and her sword clutched tightly in her hand, she slowly began to evolve her face expression, locking eyes with her father. His eyes, so dark blue, locked with hers, that smooth satisfied look he always held, plastered on his face.

Then, once her face was only the facialized version of sorrow and pain, she dropped her weapon and ran as fast as she could, leaving behind a faint trail of dust, towards her father. As soon as she reached him, she leaped into his arms, clinging to him and sobbing.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried, "I'm _so _sorry!" Burying her face into his broad shoulders, she rubbed her watering eyes into his suit, leaving behind a water stain.

_Ha, take that._

She felt her father's large warm hand on the back of her head, stroking her white hair over and over. But his soft caressing felt empty and cliche, just like everything he seemed to do with her. Clinging tighter, Weiss sobbed a little more, hoping to add emphasis to her fake position. Glancing towards the trees, she could barely see a bush rustle, indicating that the others were likely on the move.

* * *

"Aw, they look so sweet!" Nora whispered as they watched Weiss hug her father. The group began stealthily moving towards the back of the ship, still concealed by the trees. Jaune led them all, almost screaming his whisper for her to stop making comments.

"Too bad it's all fake," Yang mumbled as she passed Nora, making her frown and give Yang's metal arm a small swat. Jaune turned to Oscar, who was right beside him, Ruby following, and nudged his shoulder.

"You almost ready to activate...whatever semblance you said it was that you would use to help us get onto the ship noticed?" he whispered, so barely audible that he was practically mouthing it. Oscar gave a brief nod for an answer, and stopped to glance out at the scene in the clearing.

Weiss was still hugging her father; the back of the ship wasn't too far now; a few Atlas soldiers were standing around, talking lowly to each other and starting to walk forward. Oscar suddenly realized that they may as well be checking the area, wary of any attempts for this all to be a trap. Why wouldn't they? Jaques wasn't exactly a fool in this department. Or so he remembered Ozpin knowing that.

Panicked, he gestured for them to hurry up, waving his arms around wildly and pointing forward. The group understood immediately, and all of them basically went into stealth mode, hurriedly sneaking their way forward without making much noise at all. Nora, Yang, and Ruby and Jaune seemed to be the most loud of them all, but it still wasn't enough to arouse suspicion. Hopefully.

* * *

The few Atlas soldiers, who were clearly humans, rather than the robotic knights, quickly began spreading out, searching around the clearing in a general scan. No large details; just a general sweep of the area. Weiss's grip tightened in panic as two guards neared the spot where her friends likely were, their guns pointed and their eyes scanning throughly through the thick trees and bushes. Weiss held her breath, afraid that they would find them, but she sighed with relief as they walked away, not seeming to have found the group.

Jaques slowly pulled Weiss away, scanning her up and down and observing her cuts and scrapes, along with the condition of her dress. His eyes still held that smooth look, and his words seemed to carry more of a regality. Still nothing new.

"My goodness," he said, "You look terrible! Let's get you back home where you can get comfortable, clean, and safe." He offered her his hand, which she gently took, and he lead her to the ship, offering her the door. Smiling gratefully, Weiss stepped into the ship, feeling less and less confident about the plan working, and then sat down, wincing slightly as a cut on her back thigh made contact with the seat, making it sting. Sighing, she willed her team and friends to get on the ship.

* * *

The group watched as Weiss got into the ship, Jaques closing the door. They were all relived and a little surprised that Weiss had been able to pull off such a good act. She really had looked desperate and heartbroken. The guards had finished searching now, and seemed to be filling back up by the ship, who's back was now right in front of team RWBY, ORNJ, and Qrow.

"Okay," Jaune whispered, just loud enough for the group to hear, "It's time. _Now_!" He motioned for Blake and Ren to get out of the tree they were perched in, just above them.

Hardly making a sound, they eased their way out, Ren sliding down with Stormflower and Blake climbing down as smoothly as a cat. Literally. Both of them landed in formation with the group, a straight line, and kept their weapons out and ready. Blake just held the blade of Gambol Shroud, mentally noting for the fiftieth time to get that fixed. Then, after Jaune nudged Oscar on the shoulder, he faced the back of the ship, closing his eyes and then focusing.

Deep inside his mind and body, his aura and soul, he dug deep into his previous reincarnations lives, memories, and semblances. Words, images, and voices seemed to clog his mind, but he remained focused, searching through what seemed millions of files of information. With each second, he could feel himself getting closer, closer to the semblance he knew he possessed so long ago.

_I discovered it one day while playing hide and seek with my friends in Vacuo...They couldn't see me, but I could see them..._

That younger voice of that younger reincanation rung in his head, echoing around like crazy. But he found it, that semblance, and connected to it. His arms out wide and his eyes closed, her concentrated on that semblance, and his orange gloved hands began to glow green.

The rest of the group also began to glow green, but they stayed calm and stood still, waiting. Slowly, Oscar suddenly began to fade away, al the way until he was no longer seen. Ruby almost panicked for a moment, often feeling that way whenever she was around other people and he wasn't with her. But then she noticed that _she _was disappearing, too. Looking around her, _everybody _was disappearing. But not teleporting. They were all there.

Oscar had turned them all invisible.

"Well that's convenient," Qrow mumbled, audible in the silence of the group.

Although nobody could see each other and nobody could see Jaune waving at the exit from the trees, they all knew what step was next.

"Move! Move!" Jaune hissed, Oscar and Ruby able to feel the wind from Jaune's arms moving around.

Without a single bit of hesitation, the group began to emerge from the woods, into the clearing, and around to the back of the ship. The large opening in the back was wide open, with some small metal steps sticking out from the lip. Carefully avoiding any chance of the oncoming guards noticing any noise of movement, they each snuck into the back, some leaping up onto into it, and others climbing the steps.

Qrow stayed behind, frightening Ruby at first as she boarded the ship, but then he jumped up and suddenly was a crow, a few stray black feathers falling from him as he perched himself on a closer tree. She sighed and hurried into the back of the ship.

Somehow, Ruby managed to find Oscar amidst their invisible group, and they grabbed each other's hands, holding them tightly as he guided her to the back. Lifting her up with his strong grip, he hoisted her gently onto the floor, following soon after. Blake accidentally bumped into Jaune, unable to see him, and Yang stepped on Ruby's foot, making her step back and almost yell in anger.

But she knew better, and hardly made a sound. Once everyone had climbed aboard, Jaune made a soft whispery noise, every member of their group answering back with a whispery noise, one at a time. Counting eight whispers back, Jaune sighed with relief and glanced around.

The back was strangely nice; two booths on each side with a table in the center of each; a few simple paintings nailed to the walls; a large white rug, and a large white light, mounted in the ceiling and providing some decent lighting.

_I guess that's just what your transportation ship looks like when you're rich._

Ruby stood there, feeling like she was alone in the back of this ship. She couldn't see _anybody_. But she could just hear their breathing and then slight sounds that they made when they moved. Her heart pounding in her chest, she felt nervously around for someone, hoping to find Oscar's hand again. After feeling awkwardly around for a few seconds, she finally found his large, warm, calloused hand, and held tightly onto it. A pleasant wave of love rushed up from her arm all the way to her heart, making it pound more fervently, and yet, gentler.

Jaune's hands were softer and less worn that Oscar's, and Oscar's had a lot more calluses that Jaune's. She knew for sure that it was Oscar's hand, and not Jaune's. Jaune would have been shocked out of his mind if it had been his.

Smiling softly and feeling secure beneath their invisibility, she looked down at her bump for the millionth time. Whenever she and Oscar were with each other, unseen by anyone else, she felt a deeper and stronger love for Oscar _and _their baby. Even though the baby's presence had been unwanted and unexpected, with every loving moment she and Oscar spent together, she felt more and more eager to have this baby. Love was a great thing.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when the sound of the guards low talking could be heard, coming closer and closer. Panicked, she looked franticly around, tensing up imediately, but still holding Oscar's hand. She felt his other hand gently touch her shoulder, and she calmed down a little bit. But still frightened, she looked around, feeling again like she was alone and almost exposed.

Oscar's hand was trembling a little, and then suddenly, the outline of all of the others and herself, glowed green, then faded back invisible. Oscar couldn't keep it up much longer.

"Get back!" she heard someone, she couldn't tell if it was Jaune, Blake, or Ren, hiss, "Hide!"

Turning around, she felt Oscar jerking her towards the left booth, nearly causing her to fall. But she tried hard to keep up to speed with him and they both disappeared behind the booth. Half crashing into, half sliding, they hid behind it, trying so hard not to pant, gasp, or make any audible noise.

Once everything was silent again, they began to hear sounds of a man yelling. Something about a back and about intruders. But it didn't sound very threatening.

_Jacques._

And then the sounds of the Atlesian guards walking and talking came even closer, and they knew that their plan was about to go into complete no-turning-back mode.

* * *

Watching her father walk back around the ship to the driver seat, she saw him call out to the guards to get back in, asking them if they had found anything. With an affirmative answer that the coast was clear, he nodded and then sat down in his seat, the guards jumping into the back and then shutting the large back door loudly behind them.

Jacques took hold of the wheel, prepared the ship for takeoff, and then began to fly upward, relaxing his hold on the wheel and sitting back more once they were in midair, headed back towards Atlas and the Schnee Manor. Weiss stared at him, waiting for his gaze to go to hers. But he just sat looking straight ahead, watching the clouds go by.

"Father?" Weiss began tentatively. Jacques turned and looked at her.

"Yes?" he asked with a slight nod of his head. Weiss looked down for a moment, then back up, wishing she could put on a blindfold or something to avoid his deep blue stare.

"What was all that...checking the guards did for?" she asked, trying to sound clueless and a bit frightened. The fear part was easy. She still didn't know weather or not her team had made it onto the ship. If they had, then they were certainly doing a great job of not showing it. If they hadn't, she'd have to run away again, and then she wouldn't have to worry about going home ever again.

"Oh, just to make sure that you weren't..," he began lightly, pausing for a word, "Trying anything." He gave her his usual look, indicating that he was quite serious at the moment. Weiss just sighed and looked out her window, a look of defeat on her face.

"Don't worry about that," she murmured, "And I have no point going back, anyway." She stared at her reflection in the clear glass window, almost surprised to see the bright red cut that Blake had put on her cheek. She had nearly forgotten that it existed, other than the constant throbbing in that area.

Slowly lifting a finger up to the cut, she poked it gingerly, allowing a single drop of blood onto the pad of her index finger. She held that finger up in front of her face, examining the bright red color and the shininess of the blood.

"Good to know, my dear," Jacques said softly, sitting up a little straighter, "Good to know."

Weiss, who was still turned away from him, rolled her eyes and wiped the drop of blood onto the already dirty skirt of her dress. It was smeared with dirt and blood, making her look more like a homeless hobo instead of a clean, sophisticated Schnee. Although she absolutely loathed the time when she would have to go back into her prison of a home, she couldn't help but be eager for what would come next.

A steaming hot bath in her luxurious tub; taking a nap in her soft, clean, silky bed; eating her fill of rich, exotic food, and her cuts and scrapes could get fixed up. She would also likely put a new dress on. She just hoped it could be similar to her current one. It was one of her favorites at the moment, the style and fit much to her liking.

It was at that moment that she realized just how spoiled she was. Or at least, how she had been. Back then, those delicacies had just been a normal part of life. But now, after experiencing hardship, discomfort, pain, and reality, those things were sounding absolutely fantastic. At least she had _something _to look forward to.

Smiling softly, she looked back at her father, a grateful look in her sky blue eyes. They made eye contact and Weiss sighed quietly.

"Thank you, Father."

Jacques nodded and looked back out the windshield, sighing and then sitting up straighter, adjusting his grip on the wheel with his white gloved hands.

"Well at least you finally realize how grateful you should have been and should be," he mumbled, flicking a switch and clicking a few buttons. The ship's motor seemed to make a deep vibrating sound, and then the ship's speed began reducing.

Looking out the window again, Weiss could immediately see what she had dreaded all her life. The empty place she called home, or she should say, empty palace. The large, grand manor stood proudly at the top of the snowy cliffside that outlooked the rest of Atlas, looking like a castle.

The rest of the scenery was dull, at leat to Weiss, as she has seen this view many times before, and hated it each time. The snow and ice; the same people; the city's dulling splendor. It was all just a repeated cycle that she was sick of going through all the time. But right now, she needed to roll with it, one more time. And if it didn't work, she would never have to worry about dealing with this again.

Sighing softly, she touched her hand to the cold glass and stared at her reflection for the millionth time.

* * *

Ruby stayed there crouched tightly behind the booth with Oscar clutching her by the shoulder. His strong grip was making her shoulder hurt, but she didn't make a sound.

She could hear the guards talking about how they were tired of constantly going on these "hunts for the missing heiress". Supposedly, the same soldiers had been chosen to accompany Jacques every time he went to get Weiss, and they had also been forced to patrol around Atlas each month or so, keeping an eye out for her.

Trying to keep herself calm was a challenge, and she could barely keep herself from getting up and attacking the guards. Her hand was even resting against Crescent Rose, ready to pull it out and start fighting. Her heart was pounding in her chest so hard that she was afraid the guards would hear her, and she fought to keep her breathing quiet and steady.

It was like hiding in the presence of Grimm, no emotion allowed to be portrayed; no sounds could be uttered; you had to remain as if dead. Only this time, it was men. Men with guns and some sort of military training, as well as some likely form of backup.

But then again, Ruby was a Huntress. So were all the others. Oscar had Ozpin's skill and training, as well as a strong and fit body. Blake didn't have her weapon, but she did have the blade part of it, and she was still good at hand-to-hand. Yes, they could definitely take down those few guards without breaking a sweat. But one bad fluke, and their plan could miserably fail.

Tightening her hands into fists, she bit her lip and held her breath, feeling more and more obliged to jump out and surprise attack them. it wasn't until she heard one of them stand up and walk over to the opposite side of the room, his footsteps nearing Ruby. He stopped in front of the booth and then sat down, making her heart stop for a moment.

Ruby's heart began to beat even faster and harder, and adrenaline began to run through her.

_Stop it, fighting __instincts! I need to focus and hush myself up! I'm the leader, anyway. I'm not gonna ruin this whole plan just because I'm a feisty and impatient, nonetheless a coward. _

Drawing in another slow, deep breath, she tried to calm herself again, but failed to do so. Her body twitched, her fists tightened even more, and the somewhat orchestrated fighting stances and moves continued to fly around wildly in her head. She just wanted to pull out Crescent Rose, activate her, and then smash something. But she obviously couldn't do that. Not now.

She could hear the breathing of the others; the sounds of their slight movements; their weapons making barely audible sounds as they moved around. Ruby's tensed body could hardly take it anymore. She slowly reached over, found Oscar's shoulder, and then squeezed it as hard as she could. She felt him move his head towards her, and more eagerness began to pump through her.

She wanted to fight and get those annoying guards out of the back of the ship. They were making her feel more and more uneasy, and she knew that Oscar couldn't hold up the invisibility cover much longer.

_Ugh, if only Emerald or Neo were here to disguise us or something. Emerald wasn't bad at acting to be a friend, though...If she were good, maybe we could be besties, like Weiss._

Ruby snapped her mind back to the present, cursing her constant mind-drifts. She needed to focus. For another split moment, the outlines of everyone in the group flickered green before dissolving into nothing again, Oscar's shoulder tensing up badly under Ruby's hand.

Clenching her teeth, Ruby knew that if they didn't act soon, they would all be exposed, and who knew where everyone else was hiding? There were hardly any places to hide in this small ship back. They could be standing in open area, for all she knew. Squeezing Oscar's shoulder again, she dared to lean forward and whisper as quietly as she possibly could.

"We need to fight them. Now."

The urgency in her voice made a chill go down Oscar's back. He was already sweating from holding up the invisibility semblance this long, and he could feel his aura and strength depleting with ever passing moment. They did need to act, very soon. He just didn't want Ruby to get hurt.

Slowly easing his grip off Ruby's shoulder, he slid his large sweaty palm to Ruby's slim, soft hand, squeezing it back. Ruby felt some sort of sense that Oscar was answering her back with a yes. He knew better, and doing this was the best choice. She knew it.

Slowly standing up, she pulled out Crescent Rose, a serious and determined look on her face. Taking a few small steps forward, she saw herself flicker green and come into view, becoming fully exposed in front of the guards.

They looked up, startled for a moment before standing up and quickly pulling out their guns and pointing them threateningly at her, charging them instantly. The one that bad been sitting on the booth Ruby had just been hiding behind stood up and pointed at her from behind, also charging his gun.

Ruby just stood there, feeling more and more ready and more like her old self. Then she slid her finger over the button on the handle, Crescent Rose transforming perfectly beside her and then extending until the tip of the blade just barely touched the floor.

The guards looked a little daunted, but they continued to charge their guns, higher and higher, their teeth gritting. They suddenly saw more green flickers and their mouths dropped open as they saw the standing group of the others, their weapons being pulled out.

The guards gritted their teeth harder and readied themselves, their guns glowing with force and ammo. The guards were even more angry and frightened now, and they braced themselves more.

Oscar finally flashed green and fell forward, dripping with sweat and exhausted. Ruby stood in front of him and the other guard, who suddenly let go of the trigger and sent a yellow charged bullet right at the back of Ruby's head.

She suddenly dodged it with a swift tilt of her head, sending the bullet into the other guard's chest. He fell backwards, crashing into the table and then scrambling back up onto his feet. But he was back on the floor as Ren ran up to him, sliced at him several times with Stormflower, and then jammed his blades on either side of his neck, shooting on each side as well and leaving the guard unconscious on the floor.

The guard next to him was quickly met with a shot and a vicious punch by Yang's gauntlets, which were joined by several more punches, all dealt within the minute. That guard and then one who joined him were soon on the floor in a pile. Yang eagerly turned to take down another, but saw that Jaune had just finished by tripping him with his sword and then smashing him down into the floor with his shield.

The other two were attacked by Nora, Blake, and Ruby, who defeated them with ease.

The group stood there amongst the soldiers who all lay unconscious on the floor around them. Ruby panted slightly, as she had swung her scythe around several times as she and Nora dual attacked the two other guards, and sighed with relief.

Yang shrugged and then stretched. "Welp, that was easy," she said, flicking her thick golden hair. The others murmured their agreement.

One of the guards coughed and rolled painfully over, struggling to get to his knees. Ruby glanced over at where Oscar lay, half-awake and exhausted, and then marched over to the guard, kicking him roughly over and stepping on his stomach. With narrowed eyes, she squinted at him as he stared at her, his amber eyes wide.

"You are going to be quiet," she said, her voice low and, surprisingly to the group behind her, more mature sounding, "And you or the other guards aren't going to say _anything _about this, got it?"

The guard, although tentative and afraid, nodded his head quickly. Ruby stepped off of his chest and then walked over to Oscar, kneeling beside him and placing a hand on his shoulder. She gently shook him, coaxing him fully awake.

"Hey," she said softly as his eyes fluttered open and looked at her, "Good job. We got 'em." She smiled sweetly at him and he smiled back, pushing himself onto his feet and then holding onto the top of the booth for support. Slightly shaky, he gave the group a thumbs up and a nod.

Looking again at the guards on the floor and then out the window at the cold snowy terrain of Atlas, the group prepared themselves for the next step in the plan.

* * *

Weiss's eyes widened as she felt a different kind of vibration. It felt and sounded a little more like a thump than the sounds of the motor. Instantly, Weiss knew it was them. They had made it on. Sighing with relief, Weiss slid her hand off of the window and kept it in her lap, waiting for Jacques to say something.

It took a few more thumps and muffled bullet sounds until Jacques' head cocked to the side and he paused for a moment. Weiss held her breath as she waited for him to begin talking. But he didn't say anything for several moments, and she felt slightly confused.

"Did you hear that?" he asked suddenly, startling her. Weiss jumped in her seat, and then looked over at Jacques, confusion plastered onto her face. Another short thud sounded and then he made eye contact with Weiss, making a chill go down her back.

"Those thumps?" Weiss asked, glancing at the thick back wall that separated the back of the ship from the front. Jacques nodded, and then turned around in his seat, his head facing the wall.

"Hey!" he yelled angrily to the wall, "You boys need to stop drinking every time I bring you with me! I pay you enough lien to sustain four families, and _this _is how you act?! Inconceivable. Hush up back there!"

* * *

The group froze at the sound of Jacques' harsh voice. But they felt relieved as he thought it was the guards drinking or whatever. Yang, suddenly realizing that Jacques might be waiting for a response, ran over to the awake guard and lifted him up by his shoulders, shoving him against the wall.

"Tell him things are fine!" Yang whispered in his ear, purposely dramatically frantic, and so concentrated that he could feel flecks of spit go into it. The poor guard's face was pressed up so hard against the thick metal wall that the whole side of his face began to ache badly. He reluctantly obeyed, swallowing hard and trying to turn his head a little.

"You've got it, sir!" he stuttered, sounding reasonably drunk. The pain he was feeling in addition to the position he was in gave that slur to his voice, and all Yang could think of was a big thumbs up in her head. Sighing with relief, she let him fall to the floor, grinning as she walked over to the others.

"Well that was easy," she murmured quietly, "What next?"

Jaune pressed his finger furiously to his lips, urging her to be quiet. They had already taken care of the guards; now they just needed to find a way to cover up the mess they had just made. If they simply snook out of the ship after it opened, the guards would still be there, and who would stop them from telling the truth?

One small mistake and the whole plan would crumble.

"Okay," Jaune whispered, the group huddling together in a circle, "Here's the deal. The ship is gonna land soon, so we need to act fast. I was thinking that we could rouse the guards, threaten them to not say a word, and then have them act like nothing ever happened while we sneak out."

"But..," Nora began, glancing around at the guards on the floor, "Who'll make them _stay _quiet about it? It's not like they'll just keep their mouths shut _after _we leave and can't threaten them anymore."

"Yeah," Jaune said, "But we can tell them that we're watching. They don't know why we're here. They might think we're just stealing dust or something."

"Uhm..," Yang said, her head tilted to the side and her tongue out partway in thought, "How dumb do you think they are?"

"They could be dumb," Nora objected, a little too loudly for Jaune, "Those Argus guards were _super _dumb."

"Sshh!" Jaune hissed, pressing his finger against his lips again.

"Sorry!" Nora whispered, half apologetically, half annoyed.

A sudden but slight lurch of the ship ceased their conversation. Ruby, on instinct, grabbed Oscar's hand and held it tightly. Nora took a step closer to Ren, and Yang almost loaded her gauntlet. But nothing else followed the lurch, so they relaxed.

The ship began slowly landing, and their ears began to pop and ring. Ruby held her breath and pinched her nose, exhaling through her ears to clear them. Oscar just stood there, regaining his strength and taking in more breaths. Yang shook her head so her thick golden hair got in Jaune's face and Nora tipped her head and started lightly smacking her ears.

Ruby sighed and looked down at her stomach again, resisting the urge to rub it. It just seemed so natural for her to want to see and feel her bump, and she found herself looking down at it several times. It was like when you get a cut and constantly look at the blood slowly trickling.

She clenched her teeth in irritance, wishing she'd stop thinking about it so much. She needed to focus on the plan and other things while she still could.

"Okay, guys," Jaune whispered, his voice low, "Get ready. Get the guards up."

Nora knelt down beside a slowly arousing guard and slapped him right across his face. His eyes shot open, surprised by the sting of the slap, and he opened his mouth to say something. But Nora clapped her hand over his mouth and grinned, shaking her head.

"_You _are gonna keep your mouth quiet and not say _anything _about what just happened," she said, still grinning and shaking her head, "Or I'll _break your legs_!"

The man's eyes went wide again and he swallowed nervously. Nodding his head as best as he could while lying on the floor, he slowly pulled himself to his feet, Nora letting go of his mouth. She stood up and saw Yang helping two guards onto their feet, an encouraging look on her face.

She winked at Ruby, sticking her tongue out and releasing the two guards. They staggered a little, but then steadied themselves, picking up their guns and clearing their throats. The others had the rest of the guards up in no time, and soon they were all standing together, the guards either holding back groans or glaring at them.

"Now remember," Yang said, holding up her fists, "Not. A single. Word." She loaded her gauntlet after her sentence and gave the guards a threatening look. "Or else." She punched her fists together after that statement, and then grinned slyly.

Ruby giggled quietly to herself at her sister's threat and eagerness. Yang was such a great sister; so funny and lighthearted, not to mention, she was always there for her "baby sister". Sighing, she walked over to the window and pressed herself up against the glass, peering through and looking around at the sky.

_C'mon, Uncle Qrow! Where are you..._

Narrowing her eyes and squinting, her mouth made a straight line, and she continued to search the skies for Qrow, who, according to the plan, should be in bird form and flying right by the ship. There was a chance he was on the other side, or following behind them. He might be above the ship, too, but she wasn't sure. Just as long as he was somewhere, it didn't matter.

"Ruby," Oscar mumbled behind her, startling her. Ruby jumped and turned around, giving Oscar a teasing glare.

"I though I told you!" she hissed quietly, "No more jump-scares!" There was half real anger and half playful teasing in her voice. Oscar smirked and rolled his eyes.

"We need to get ready to sneak out," he said, his voice low, "The ship's just about to finished landing."

Ruby nodded and sighed, leaning her head slightly against his chest and leaving it there for a moment. She was already feeling a little tired. Not sleepy, but just tired. Like she wanted a nice refreshing nap or something.

"You okay?" Oscar whispered.

"Yeah," Ruby answered, taking her head off his chest before anyone could see, "I just hope this whole thing goes okay."

"I hope so, too," he said, looking over the group and the guards, "Just be careful, okay?"

"I'll try."

"Good."

* * *

"Can you believe those guards?" Jacques asked as he prepared to finished landing the ship, "I always make sure they don't bring any drink with them, and then they always somehow end up with some anyway. They're almost as bad as your mother!"

Weiss looked down, debating whether or not to reply, and then nodded her head, looking for words.

"Yeah," she said, trying to sound agreeing, "What are they thinking? It's like they have absolutely _no _respect for the authorities." She swallowed after she said those words and felt a prickly hot sensation down her neck. She hated lying...at least in front of people she knew had the power to destroy her or take away anything dear to her.

"Exactly!" Jacques added in, "And that's how we've been loosing so much lien lately. Your mother is such an inconceivable woman. Spending half my income on all her fancy wines and margaritas, even after we're prohibited to sell or ship dust anywhere outside of Atlas. Unbelievable!"

Weiss looked down and held her arm nervously. She _hated _it whenever Jacques rattled on about how much he hated her mother and how lousy she was for a wife. Weiss had still wondered how they hadn't gotten divorced yet, but then it had occurred to her that even if her mother had wanted to, Jacques could have disagreed, because for the sake of the family name.

But why she had never moved out or something, Weiss still wondered about. Maybe Jacques had threatened her about leaving or something. That was a likely option, but still not confirmed. She didn't want to ask Jacques about it, either. She didn't want to ask him _anything _personal.

An awkward moment of silence passed as the ship continued to lower onto the large ship dock that stood right behind the Schnee Manor. It was on a private part of the other ship dock nearby that contained mostly import ships containing dust. But those wouldn't be used much anytime soon.

Only a few minutes later, the ship came to rest on the large blue platform with the Schnee symbol painted proud and large on it. Weiss heard some very faint rustling in the back, like footsteps and weapons moving and such. She inwardly willed her friends to be alright. How they were planning on getting off without incident, she did not know.

She just had to trust them somehow.

Jacques sighed and rested his arms on the armrests beside him, looking out at the large back of the Schnee Manor. Weiss stared at it, trying to look happy. She hated the sight and wanted to jump out of the ship and run away. She turned and looked at Jacques again, wondering what he was going to do.

"Are we all clear?" he called loudly to the back.

"A-All clear, sir!" the muffled reply sounded. Jacques nodded his head approvingly and unlocked the doors to the ship, unbuckling himself and sitting up straight. He looked at Weiss' making eye contact with her and then saying,

"We're home, my dear."

* * *

**Okaaaaayyyyeeeee! FINALY finished this chapter. As you might be able to see, this one is 6,331 words long and one of my sightly longer chapters, so it took me a little extra longer than the others. I know I said I'd be less busy, but I took my week for granted, and a bunch of unexpected events came raining in on me.**

**So, SORRY for the long, long absence over the...I dunno, 2 weeks(?) on this story, as well as my others. Thanks for your patience! My schedule can be messed up sometimes...like, a lot. **

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters!**


	10. Welcome Home

The group stood there, the guards shaking and holding their guns, ready to open the back of the ship and team RWBY and ORNJ ready to get out. Jaune walked over to one of the guards and stood in front of him.

"What happens after you leave the ship?" he demanded. The guard swallowed and nodded.

"N-nothing should really happen," he stuttered, "The ship should be unoccupied until Mr. Schnee decides to leave again."

Jaune nodded slowly, contemplating the plan in his mind again. He wanted to be certain that he wasn't missing a single part of the plan. As a team leader, he knew first hand how tragic missing a part of the plan could be. Turning around to the others, he cleared his throat, gaining their immediate attention.

"Alright, guys," he said, "The guards are gonna leave this ship, leaving us in. Then, a little after they all leave, we'll all get out and make our way to some sort of form of transportation to get us where Maria is. We'll check in with her and the Relic, and then Oscar can take it from there."

Oscar nodded slowly, scratching his head. "Okay."

The others nodded. Nora grinned and grabbed Ren's arm, pulling down on it slightly.

"Finally!" she cheered, again, too loud for Jaune, "We get to take some real action!"

Blake rolled her eyes just as Jaune began hissing at Nora to be quiet.

"As if we haven't faced enough need for action or combat already," she mumbled, crossing her arms, "I even lost my coat because of it."

"Well..," Yang said, walking over and throwing an arm around Blake with optimism, "Adam lost his life, and _probably _some important organs or something, so I think it's a fair trade!"

Blake groaned and pushed Yang away. Yang stepped back, a little confused, but then she understood. Walking over to Ruby, she whispered in her ear,

"I think she's still not over it yet."

Ruby nodded slowly, seeing how downcast Blake had suddenly become. Blake, although blunt, bland, and kind of boring sometimes, was sometimes a very sensitive little thing. Poor Blake, killing her...well, whatever it was Adam was to her.

Turning to Oscar, she sighed and looked up at him. He looked back at her and the two of them just stood there, staring into each other's eyes. They didn't say anything, nor did they need to, for both of them knew what each was implying.

_Whatever happens, I won't leave you behind and I won't let anyone else separate you from me. From now on, we will stay together in anything, weather it be sacrificing ourselves to do so, or challenging the authorities. Let's do this. _

The sound of the engine slowing to a complete stop could be heard, and the light feeling of the altitude dropping ceased. The whole back became silent, and then they could hear Jacques unlocking all the doors in the ship. The front door opened, Jacques said something, and then his door slammed shut.

"We're here!" Nora whispered eagerly. Jaune nodded, his face stone-straight. He was quite serious right now.

"Alright, guys," he said, facing the others, "Get ready. Just get out as quietly as you can and head off to the trees surrounding us."

"Should we expect anything?" Yang asked.

"It'll probably be pretty cold," Blake answered, glancing out at the snow out the window.

"Guys, that doesn't matter!" Jaune said, getting a little annoyed, "Just do what you're suppose to do!"

The group nodded, and then, with a nod from the still shaken guards, they hid again, behind the booths. They were pretty squished together, and poor Ruby had a hard time breathing in the mess, but they were decently hidden.

The guards slowly opened the back of the ship and jumped out, trembling slightly and holding their guns. Fortunately, their metal helmets covered up their fear-struck eyes, and nobody would be able to see their fear and discomfort. Taking a few steps forward, they were met by Jacques, who inspected them up and down with a scowl on his face.

"You boys are getting a decrease in your pay this month," he snarled, "I warned you not to bring anymore drinks aboard, but no, you simply must have a drink with you at _all times_!"

Rolling his eyes and grumbling something under his breath, he turned around and took Weiss by her hand. She had stepped out of the ship and joined by her father's side as he yelled at the poor guards.

Ruby felt a little guilty, having been responsible for the guards; pay level being reduced. But they _did _disobey Jacques before, according to him, so maybe they deserved it. They had a plan to carry out, anyway.

"Come on, my dear," he said, leading Weiss towards the Manor, "Let's get you safe and warm."

The two of them walked around the back of the building and disappeared behind the side of it, followed by the guards, who were eager to get away from the ship. They tried to stand up straight and stop trembling, which became easier and easier as they walked further from the ship.

Back at the ship, Jaune poked his head cautiously out of the still open door, glancing from side to side, then in front of him, and then behind. Seeing nobody or anything that could possibly hinder their progress or stop them, he turned back to the group.

"Okay, I think we're ready now," he said in his normal voice, no longer whispering, "Let's move out!"

He quickly jumped out of the back, followed by everyone else, and they all landed in a group in front of the back of the ship. Ruby looked franticly around, searching high and low for Qrow. But she didn't see him anywhere. Shivering from the sudden drop in temperature, she wrapped her arms around her body and looked around more.

"What's wrong, Ruby" Jaune asked, quickly stepping over to her. Ruby sighed and shook her head.

"I-I can't find Uncle Qrow!" she complained, worried, "He was suppose to follow the ship all the way here. It wasn't very long at all, so he shouldn't have gotten lost..." She bit her lip and looked around again, getting more and more afraid.

Jaune put his hand on her shoulder, startling her slightly, but not enough to be noticed. "I'm sure he's here."

"Yeah," Ruby said nervously, "Maybe."

"Alright, let's get into the trees!" Jaune said, gesturing towards the trees, "Move!"

They all hurriedly ran to the trees, their weapons out and ready in case anyone were to impose. Oscar caught up to Ruby while they all ran in a scattered group, and the two of them held hands, being in the back of them all. They all made it together into the trees, and hid behind all the leaves and branches.

Ruby was panting already, and a thin layer of sweat had already made her forehead damp. But she was able to quickly catch her breath as they stood there, waiting for the next order. Oscar patted her on the back, constantly stealing glances at the others to make sure no one in particular was watching.

"You okay?" he whispered.

"Yeah," Ruby answered, taking in a deep breath and then exhaling, "I'm fine." She smiled at him and gave him a brief nod.

"Okay, does anybody know exactly where we are?" Jaune asked, his back turned to the group as he looked around at the trees surrounding them, "Because I have no idea whatsoever."

"Nothing at all?" Blake asked, crossing her arms.

"Well..," Yang said, "We're in Atlas?"

"Not helping, Yang," Jaune said, his back still turned as he scanned the area around him.

"And..," Yang said, looking around at all the snow on the ground, "We have _snow _idea where we are?"

"Yang, stop!" Jaune shot, swinging around, "We don't have time for this! We need to get to Maria as soon as possible and then find out way to the next Relic! The longer Weiss stays at her house, the more and more stuck she'll likely get!"

"Woah, woah, easy there," Yang said, holding her hands out for peace, "All I did was crack a little pun. You don't have to be so thickheaded right now. Relax! It's going to be _fine_."

Jaune sighed and shook his head, looking down. "I know. I'm just really tense right now for some reason. I guess I just always was after Pyrrha-" He paused and took in a deep breath, exhaling and then waving his hand.

"After Beacon fell," he finished, his eyes closed to hide the pain that everyone already knew was there. Nora looked sadly up at Ren, and he looked sadly down at her. Ruby and Yang looked down. Blake sighed.

Suddenly, a faint rustling could be heard nearby. Ruby jumped with startlement, tensing up immediately, but then her face lit up.

"Uncle Qrow?!" she called eagerly, "Is that you?!"

She was immediately hushed by Jaune, who hissed his "ssshhh!" at her again. Ruby frowned at him.

"We aren't in range of anyone; we don't have to be quiet anymore," she said, turning around and looking through the treetops for any sign of Qrow. But there weren't any birds in sight, other than a small group of bluebirds flying away from Ruby's call. Sighing, Ruby turned back, now more worried than before.

"He still isn't here yet," she said quietly. Yang shrugged.

"It's okay, sis," she said, flicking her hair again, "Uncle Qrow has his own approach of things sometimes."

"Yeah, but not like this," Ruby protested, "Now's not the time for 'mysterious entrances'!"

Yang sighed and shook her head. "My dear little sister, how little faith you have." She grinned and then chuckled as Ruby elbowed her roughly on her metal arm and then winced as she made contact with the hard metal.

"Owwww!" she wined, "Yang, stop it!" Another mood swing. Now she just felt annoyed with Yang, and wanted to fight her. But she saw the solemn look on Jaune's face and all those emotions melted. She nervously grabbed her arm and stood still.

"We are currently a short 2 miles away from Nix, a smaller town just outside of the Kingdom of Atlas," Ren reported, looking down at his scroll.

Jaune noticed and then slapped his forehead, cursing himself for being so forgetful. "Aw, of course! Thanks Ren."

Ren nodded dutifully. "Of course."

"So...we just head to Nix or whatever and see if they've got any trains or something?" Nora asked, staring down at Ren's scroll, reading all the adds on the sides of the map. Jaune shrugged.

"I guess so," he answered, looking around at the group's faces, "Sound like a plan?"

"I say we go for it!" Yang said cheerfully, throwing a fist into the air.

"If Yang thinks so, then I do too," Ruby said with a smile.

"It's obviously our only option, for the record," Blake mumbled.

Ren and Nora both gave Jaune an affirmative nod, and Jaune nodded back.

"Okay, then!" he said, gaining a new determination, "Then...north we go?"

"It's west," Ren corrected. Jaune rolled his eyes.

"_West _we go?" he said. The group collectively agreed, also possessing that determination, and then Jaune lead the way. Putting his sword and shield away, he lead the group westward through the trees.

* * *

"Welcome home, my dear," Jacques said warmly as they walked through the grand front doors of the Schnee Manor.

The whole front entry was as large and towering as ever; the large crystal chandeliers that hung from the celling; the thick velvety white curtains that covered the huge glass windows on either sids; the delicate glass decorations that hung on the white painted walls and sat atop some of the well-crafted wooden tables that lined the hall. the long blue rug that stretched from where they stood to the top of he stairs.

The pictures that hung on the walls were still the same old pictures of scenes of Atlas; the stairs that ascended a few yards away from the was still the same old marble staircase that lead the the many halls, rooms, and corridors of the upstairs.

Everything was the same as when she had left, except for one thing. She hadn't been forced to come here. This wasn't another round of the constant cycle she had been going through where she left and then was dragged back. This was mostly voluntary. She was _choosing _to come here.

But she felt that same warm pride swell up in her chest as she remembered that she was simply coming for goods and for the sake of her team and the better good of Remnant. She hadn't, nor would she ever, surrender to her father. She was still on her own, on opposite sides as Jacques.

Jacques, still holding her hand, lead her up the stairs, their shoes making little click-clacks on the cool marble steps as they walked. They walked through the all-too familiar halls, not saying a single word, past the many rooms that Weiss knew individually, and to her room, which still had a small scratch on the door, just below the handle.

Weiss had made that scratch about two years ago, when she had had a fight with her mother. She rarely fought with her mother, as both of them often shared similar feelings towards Jacques, and as she rarely even encountered her mother. But they had a disagreement on something, she couldn't remember what it was exactly, and that had left Weiss feeling upset.

So she had lashed out, holding her sword, and had accidentally made a scratch on her door. Nobody had seemed to notice it yet, even the tedious maids and servants that were ordered daily to scour the whole place for any flaw possible, and fix it.

"Here you are," he said, folding his hands formally behind his back, "Go ahead and get yourself undressed. I've already had a Klein prepare a hot bath for you and se out your clothes in your room."

Weiss felt her cheeks glow warm as her father instructed her to undress herself. Although it didn't mean anything weird, it was still an awkward thing for her when someone said it. It was just so strange sounding.

Nodding, Weiss smiled gratefully once again at Jacques and slowly opened the door to her room, seeing again the familiar set up of her bed, her dressers, her bookshelves...

"Thank you, Father," Weiss said, walking into it and breathing in its familiar scent. Icelily perfume. So Klein _had _continued to keep the room smelling fresh with its sweet icy scent. So thoughtful of him. That was when Weiss realized that she could see him again! Smiling, she walked further into her room.

"Whitley will be thrilled to hear of your return," Jacques said, turning to leave, "Be sure to drop by and visit him. He will likely be in his room, busy with all of his heir business. It's hard for a boy to manage such a...heavy burden."

Weiss froze, the anger of her stripped position boiling up inside her. But she held her breath, waiting for it to die down. Once it had, she turned around with a light smile and nodded at Jacques.

"Of course," she said. Jacques smiled and then left, closing the door behind him.

Weiss sighed, relieved that he had finally left. His presence always made her feel either tense or angry, and now that he was gone, it was as if a heavy burden had just been lifted from her shoulders.

Sighing again, she looked around her room and walked over to her large soft bed. Sitting down on it, she drank in the sweet silence, the only audible noises being the barely hearable echos of Jacques footsteps in the hall as he left. She looked over to the large window that let all the white light into the room and saw her chair still sitting beside it.

Klein had been dusting her room everyday, she could tell, and he had left her chair by the window again, where she would sit and think, watching the ships and birds go by in the air. It was one of the many things Klein knew she did while here, and it made her smile to see it sitting patiently there, waiting for her.

A dress form wearing an outfit stood on the other side of the window, a pair of heels and a new icicle-shaped tiara on the floor in front of it, except, it was black instead of silver. Smiling, Weiss saw another observation Klein must have made.

The outline at the top and sides of her dress, alone with the pattern that held the blue jewel at her neck was black, and the sleeves were pure white. The main dress was more of a sky blue, rather than that light indigo-purple, and it faded into more pure white. The tips of the sash that wrapped around the waist were also sky blue, but a shade lighter. it was the same style as her old one, but the colors were much better, in her opinion.

Walking over to her mirror, she looked at her reflection. At the dirty, injured, and battered girl with the white hair, drunk mother, bratty brother, horrible father, and lone sister. But strangely enough, this time, she wasn't helpless. She was proud and free from Jacques cold clutches. She was going to leave soon without any regrets. She was no longer trapped in this stoney place called home.

Grinning, at her reflection one last time, she unwound the bright red scarf from her neck and slipped off her torn, dirty, and blood-stained clothing, tossing it into a bucket used for this purpose. Then she walked over to the door, grabbed a large white towel from the peg, and wrapped her body tightly with it, then slipped on a soft white bathrobe.

Opening the door again, she hurriedly jogged soundlessly through the carpeted hallway, her bare feet hardly making a single noise, and walked into the bathroom, greeted by a refreshing cloud of herb-scented steam.

The whole bathroom was foggy with the warm, moisturizing steam, and the large, elaborate white porcelain tub, lined with deep blue crystalline stones was filled to the brim with steaming hot water. Bubbles and foam, smelling sweetly of lavender and some other herby flowers floated around the rim of the tub, adding to the scent of the steam and air.

Weiss threw off her towel and robe and eased herself into the hot water, breathing with relief as the heat soaked into her and warm her to her very core. The herbs in whatever substance Klein had used in the water made a pleasant and dreamy scent, filling her head and making her eyes eyes heavy.

Tiredness seeped into her head and she lay back in the tub, her white hair flowing freely in the water. Suddenly, despite how quiet it was, a soft knock on the door roused her. Sitting up suddenly, Weiss rubbed her eyes and glanced at the door.

_Oh, gosh, I forgot to lock the door._

"Uh, yes?!" Weiss called.

"Erm, Ms. Schnee," Klein's voice called from the hall, "Are you finished with your bath yet? It has been more than an hour."

Weiss's eyes widened. She had fallen asleep in the tub, and Klein was outside her un-locked door. Boy, she really was forgetting her manners already.

"Oh! Right..," Weiss called back looking around the room, "I-I'll be right out!"

"And I will leave before you emerge, Ms. Schnee!" Klein quickly answered, the sounds of his hurried, but formal, footsteps leaving following.

Stepping out of the tub, she grabbed a clean white towel from the stand beside the tub and wrapped it around herself, using another to wrap around her head to contain her dripping hair. Carefully avoiding the puddles of water she had left from getting out of the tub and from her hair whipping droplets all the way to the door, she snatched the robe from the floor and slipped it on.

Then, with a deep breath, she opened the door and peaked out. No one was in sight. She held the robe around her tighter and hurried back to her room, where she closed the door and then locked it. Then she turned around and faced her new outfit, grinning again at how much she liked it.

Walking over to it, she took it off of the dress form and then put it on, along with the heels. Then she pulled her hair back to the side, brushing it neatly with a brush from her dresser, and then tied it neatly into a tight bun, sticking her black tiara there and letting go of her hair.

She smiled at her new, free, independent self, finally for once approving of the reflection she saw in the mirror. Her new outfit really made her stick out more, and none of the colors, other than the white, matched the colors of her home quite as much as her old outfit. She just needed one more thing.

Crossing over to her dresser, she pulled out a thin bright red ribbon, and then tied it around her waist, matching it up with the sash. Going back to the mirror, she smiled at her reflection again and approved completely. She definitely looked good right now.

Another soft knock on the door, recognizable as Klein, sounded again. Weiss smiled and walked over to the door, opening it and revealing the chubby bald butler in front of her. A sudden new ache pulled at her heart, and before she realized it, she felt tears in her eyes.

"Klein!" she said, the smile on her face threatening to burst if it got any bigger, "It's so good to see you again!" She hugged him tightly, remembering instantly the last time they did that. She had been sneaking out again, ready to leave this place and find her friends.

Without Klein's help, leaving would've been much hard at that time. Klein was one of the only people in this Manor who she cared about and whom he personally cared about as well. Was she imagining it, or was Klein crying? He seldom cried.

They unembraced and looked at each other, either person's eyes wet.

"It's so good to see you again!" Weiss said, smiling again. Klein tipped his head back and let out a jolly good laugh, making Weiss feel very happy. One of the few times she actually felt that emotion while here.

"Oh, likewise, Ms. Schnee," he answered, his eyes pink, "But I'll tell ya; I was in the middle of one of Mr. Schnee's "Task Concerts", and he was rattling them off one by one, and the worst kind, too!" His eyes turned red and his voice became thickly accented as he waved his arms around for emphasis.

"He said, "Make sure that any visible and invisible spot or blemish on _anything _must be eliminated. Even a single speck of dust-" His eyes changed back to light brown and he clapped his hands together.

"And then his scroll suddenly rang and he answered it, pardoning me from my temporary bondage!"

Weiss giggled, always appreciating Klein's silliness. His semblance was quite useful on his side, as he loved seeing Weiss smile and laugh. He had been the family butler ever since Weiss had been very young. So he was someone with whom she felt comfortable and personally bonded with.

His eyes suddenly became yellow, and he smiled widely under his brown mustache.

"And then he informed me that it had been _you _calling, and my heart nearly leaped out of my chest!" he said excitedly, "I always thought that you would never speak to him again, nevertheless come back home!"

Weiss glanced from side to side, her ponytail flicking as she did. There was not a single soul in sight, other than Klein. Sighing, she bent over so that her mouth was just an inch away from his hear.

"I'm not here to stay," she whispered, barely audible, "I'm planning on escaping again as soon as possible."

Klein raised a brown and twitched his mustache, a knowing but curious look in his light brown eyes.

"Mhmm," he said, also keeping his voice just barely above a whisper, "I should've assumed there was some explanation. Knowing you and all of the trouble we went through last time, I would never have expected you to come back again without a fight."

Weiss sighed and nodded.

"I-I'm here on huntress business," she began, "Me and my Beacon team, along with some friends, are trying to get the Atlas Rel-"

She paused, remembering that Klein probably had no idea about all of the crazy things she had learned about ever since she left a few weeks ago. He was just as innocent and clueless as anyone else.

"An important item," she said, "I would give you all the details, but it's far too long of a story to tell. I'm not even sure you would believe some of it, even if it's coming from me."

Klein laughed softly and shook his head.

"Oh, Ms. Schnee," he said, "I do tend to be biased on many things you say, but certainly not everything! You have given me plenty of outrageous excuses for naughty manners in the past. You were such a sweet little snowflake."

Weiss smiled and tucked a stray lock of her white hair behind her ear.

"Thank you, Klein," she giggled, "But yes, basically, it's very complicated and I honestly don't think I could even accurately explain it to you...It's all kind of...secretive, anyway."

Klein nodded. "So when and how do you plan on leaving?"

"As soon as the others get the item we're searching for, and they'll be waiting within view of my window. I'll just use my glyphs to get down, or something."

"Ah, and why, may I ask, Ms. Schnee, did you not use that option last time?"

"I-uh...I don't know, actually. Maybe it just hand't come to mind or something."

Klein chuckled and his eyes turned yellow as he did. "Yes, that sounds like you, Ms. Schnee," he said. His eyes turned back to light brown as he gathered himself back into his normal formal butler self.

Weiss giggled again, always humored at Klein's constant change of personalities. It suited the short butler quite nicely, and aided him in keeping Weiss's spirits up when they were down, and even when there weren't.

"Well, I best be on my way now," he said, pulling out his silver pocket watch and checking the time before sliding back into his coat pocket, "Master Whitley has been using me as a toy ever since he gained his position as heir to the Dust Company and I am often summoned to him nearly every hour for some sort of assistance."

He cupped Weiss's hands with his and smiled at her again, his eyes yellow again, "I wish you the best in your plan."

Weiss smiled and nodded at him, feeling even more grateful for his presence and position here. "Thank you."

Klein answered with a swift nod before turning and then walking briskly away, his steps formal and well-paced. Weiss watched him go and sighed, wishing she could have told him _everything_. But that would've been a real pain to vocally recall, and the whole subject was just a different thing in itself.

She was just glad she could see him again, and would continue to see him for the duration of her time here. He was such a wonderful person to have working here. About the only persons he knew of who actually had a heart. And a warm one, at that.

Smiling again and watching as Klein disappeared around the corner of the long hallway, Weiss yawned and then turned back into her room, closing the door behind her. Walking over to her large, elegant bed, she slid under the soft, silky covers and snuggled deep into her feathery pillows.

The comfort and warmth of the blankets, sheets, and pillows seeped into her and made her head heavy again, and before she knew it, she had dozed off into a deep and restful slumber.

* * *

**Alright, so without much of a delay, this next chapter comes out only a few days after the last one! Sorry if this chapter, or any of the previous ones, seemed focused on Weiss a bit much. It won't last too long, I can assure you, and so hang in there!**

**Ah, poor Weiss and good ole Klein! Poor Ruby and good ole Ren and Nora! I like pretending that Yang never got depressed after Beacon...**

**Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more chapters!**


	11. The Ticket Man

"How much longer?"

"We shouldn't be too far from it."

"Yeah, silly, but how much _longer_?"

"My estimate wouldn't be very accurate..."

"Ugh, Ren! Just give me a random number of minutes to stew on!"

Nora and Ren went back and forth, Nora's impatience decreasing Ren's patience. But it also made him smirk a little. Nora was his little spark of light in their dark life together. Always trying cheering him up, even if he _really _didn't want her to. Shaking his head, he glanced ahead as far as he could, then focused a little, stoping his walking for a moment.

Sensing with his aura, he could feel...something, a little ways away ahead. Likely Nix, as they had been walking for nearly 45 minutes. Two miles wasn't very long, so they had to be nearing it by now. Continuing walking again, he sighed and caught up to Nora.

"About five more minutes until it should be within sight," he answered. Nora sighed and rolled her eyes, waving her hand.

"Oh, finally!" she said, "I was starting to think your map was wrong or something! But you're never wrong." She grinned and rubbed her cheer up against the side of his arm for a moment. Ren felt his cheeks glow warm a little and a tickly sensation make his heart beat a little faster.

He loved Nora, and this feeling wasn't new. But it was still good. Smiling, he walked on with Nora beside him, who was starting to blabber on about forks or something.

Jaune, who had been listening to Nora and Ren's conversation, sighed and looked down at the map pulled up on his scroll. Indeed, it looked like they were very close. Nix was suppose to be a smaller town, so they wouldn't see it from a large distance away, otherwise they'd likely see it from here...Glancing behind himself, he watched as Oscar and Ruby talked to each other, both smiling.

He always felt some sort of jealousy or anger almost every time he saw those two talking or conversing. Sure, they were friends, but what if it was more than that? Seeing how she and Oscar treated and looked at each other seemed to tell him otherwise. The blushes, the looks; everything.

Swallowing his bitter disappointment, he looked down at the map again, trying to throw the thought away. It didn't matter. Plus, he still wasn't entirely over Pyrrha yet. Her voice and face always haunted his dreams and filled his thoughts everyday, even during battles. Her training and her words would flood back to him as he fought, and he would use those moves and techniques, almost hearing her voice urging him to continue.

He shook his head as a tear threatened to spill, wiping at his eyes to clear them. He felt more sadness fill him as he heard Oscar and Ruby laugh behind him, obviously enjoying each other's company quite well.

"That's hilarious!" Ruby said, recovering from her laughing fit, "She caught you _kissing _your _pillow_?!"

Oscar chuckled and nodded, blushing slightly with embarrassment. "Yeah...I guess it must've been because I likes sleeping so much."

Ruby exploded back into another fit of laughing, clutching her stomach as she did so. She could feel her whole stomach moving up and down in one whole round shebang as she laughed. It was almost fun to feel it, and she just hoped that nobody could see it. Looking back up at Oscar, she noticed that he was staring down at her bump, a sot look in his eyes.

"Is it really that noticeable?" she murmured, quietly enough not to let the others nearby hear. Oscar shook his head and sighed.

"No," he began, "But I know that you're..." He glanced around him and then said talked in a lower voice. "Pregnant. I also know that our baby is starting to grow and is starting to make your stomach bigger. So, that being said, I can't help but notice it. It's small enough that the other's wouldn't see it, though."

Ruby sighed and looked down, wishing that the bump wouldn't get so big. It would soon come out of hiding, and then their horrid little secret would be exposed for all to see. Literally. Taking a nervous gulp, Ruby unconsciously touched her belly, quickly taking her hand off once she noticed that she had. She hated keeping things a secret.

Suddenly, a faint rustling could be hear again, this time, much closer. Ruby heard it first, looking quickly to where she heard it. Tensing, she reached for Crescent Rose, looking alertly around for any type of possible threat. Oscar and Jaune followed suit, also grabbing their weapons and scanning the area.

"Find something?" Yang asked, quickly loading her gauntlet and licking her lips. Jaune hushed her and held his sword out, poised to attack at any moment. Blake, Nora, and Ren also grabbed out their weapons, taking on a battle stance.

Ruby's eyes traced the path of leaves rustling about in the trees, read to shoot Crescent Rose if anything hostile should suddenly come out. And then, with a suddenness that sent bullets from three different people's weapons to the spot, a black crow popped out of the trees, disappearing behind the smoke of the three shots.

Ruby freaked out, dropping her weapon and blurring away with a flurry of rose petals to where she had seen the crow. The others exchanged glances, surprised and hoping very dearly that the bird they had just shot had been _only _an ordinary crow. If it hadn't...

Ruby, who had managed to get herself onto a branch close to where the crow had been, was searching frantically for the bird, looking at the ground and at the branches. She grabbed branches, whipping them around in her frantic search for her uncle.

Not seeing him on any of the branches nearby, she jumped off of the tree and landed in a summersault on the ground, standing quickly up and searching for him. Her summersault had felt a bit awkward to her, as she had been able to feel her slightly swollen stomach as she did so. It was only a moment later that she spotted the crow on the ground, sprawled awkwardly out with feathers around it.

"Uncle Qrow!" she cried, kneeling down beside it and gingerly scooping it up. She cradled the crow in her hands and gently urged it to wake up. But it was as limp and motionless as wet paper, and Ruby's lip began to quiver. Slowly lifting its little breast against her ear, she gasped when she heard no heartbeat whatsoever.

Her eyes filling with tears, she bowed her head, slowly lowering her hand and setting the crow on the ground. Quietly, she began to cry, her shoulders moving up and down with every sob. How did she loose him so easily? So abruptly? So randomly? Sobbing, she gently pet the crows ruffled feathers.

"I didn't think I'd ever live to see you crying over a bird," Qrow's raspy voice said from behind her. Ruby jumped, badly startled, and she swung around, her fingers wiping the crow to the left. There stood Qrow, his sword held low in his hand so that the tip of the blade touched the ground. His eyes held that knowing look, mixed with amusement and some sort of confusion.

"U-Uncle Qrow?!" Ruby squeaked, relieved and surprised. Another stray tear fell and she quickly scrambled to her feet, wiping her hands vigorously on her skirt, and then running over to him, squeezing him in a tight hug. He returned her embrace and closed his eyes.

"Oh, I was so worried about you!" she cried, letting go of him and resuming to her usually self as she explained how she had just recently felt, "I could't see you from the window on the way here, and then I didn't see you after we got out, and then, and _then_! We didn't see you while we were on the way to Nix! Oh, and that's a town that's suppose to be super close right now."

Qrow just smiled lightly as Ruby continued on with her long explanation of her feelings, once again happy to see that she _still_, after all of the craziness that was and had been currently raging, she was still as energetic as ever. She was just so precious to him, and to see her so lively and so relieved that he was alright warmed his heart.

"And then after we accidentally shot that crow, I _freaked out _because I thought we had killed you!" she finished breathlessly, taking in a deep gasp, heavy panting following. She looked up and made eye contact with him, easing her breathing until it was normal again. Qrow smirked and then Ruby smiled and the two of them stood there.

The silence was then interrupted by the sounds of heavy footsteps, along with just as heavy panting and the rustling of the trees from whatever rambunctiousness that was causing the noise. A moment later, Oscar, Jaune, Yang, and Nora burst through the clearing, all holding their weapons. They skidded to an abrupt halt when they saw Ruby and Qrow, and kicked up a large burst of dirt that hit Ruby, soiling her whole outfit.

"Hey!" Ruby spluttered, coughing from the dirt and dust that had been kicked into her face and wiping off her skirt again, "Watch it!"

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Oscar apologized immediately, holding his hands out for his apology. Jaune frowned and looked away for a moment, looking back at them with relief in his eyes. Both Ruby and Qrow were unharmed. Nothing had gone amiss and they hadn't killed Qrow on accident.

"Are you guys okay?!" Yang asked, looking wildly around. She relaxed once she saw that the two of them were safe.

Sighing, he scratched the back of his head and smiled. "Oh, I'm so glad you guys are okay. We were a little worried after Ruby rushed off like that and we realized that we could've shot Qrow."

Ruby smiled and exchanged a glance with Qrow.

"Aw, it's all good!" she said, "We just coincidentally shot a normal crow instead of Uncle Qrow." She waved her hand and giggled. Nora giggled and gave Ruby a sassy look.

"Well _good_!" she said, folding up her hammer and putting it away, "Because _I _knew you'd be fine. Ren said so." She put her hands on her hips and smiled triumphantly. Ren and Blake emerged slowly from the trees behind them, a calm look on their faces.

"Is everything alright?" Blake asked. The looks and nods of the others answered her, and Ren stood beside Nora.

"So..em, Qrow," Jaune began, "We found a town that's literally about a minute away. We're thinking it probably has some sort of train station, especially because it's in Atlas. I mean, according to one of Weiss's lectures she gave us on Atlas before we left, a surprising amount of cities here have train stations or useful transportation."

"Well that's convenient," Qrow mumbled.

"Yeah it is," Nora chimed in energetically, zipping to Qrow's side, "We'll be back by Maria in no time!" She zipped back by Ren and grabbed onto his arm excitedly. Ruby smiled and nodded.

"Let's just hope I don't end up turning this convenience into misfortune," Qrow muttered, "Like I always do."

"Aw, c'mon Qrow," Yang said, elbowing him lightly, "We're all here together; we can handle any dirty thing your semblance throws at us!"

"Not helping, Yang!" Ruby growled under her breath.

Yang just stuck her tongue out a little and turned around, facing where they had all emerged. "I was kinda serious, though."

"So, should we get going again?" Jaune asked, walking back towards the path they were following. The group gave a collective affirmative answer and then they were back on their way again, this time with Qrow.

It wasn't long until the Nix was just about in front of them. Its appearance had been a bit sudden, the trees abruptly stopping and opening up to a large clearing where the quaint village stood. Many houses all stood, mostly in neat rows, with an occasional shop or restaurant here and there. Snow covered every roof and lawn in a thick, sparkling blanket, and the streets were also lined with the glistening whiteness.

People dressed in warm coats and boots walked through the streets, and smaller and older children ran around in the yards, throwing snowballs and participating in other snow-related games. It was overall a cozy, pleasant town, and sure enough, right within view, a small building with a wooden sign portraying a train stood, right down a row of various public places.

"Over there!" Nora exclaimed, pointing to it.

"Well, that was easy," Yang said.

"Well, lucky us!" Ruby agreed. She looked up at Oscar, who was standing up next to her, and smiled. Oscar smiled back, a lively spark of hope and happiness in his hazel eyes. He slowly reached over to her hand and held it, squeezing it tight. Ruby felt her cheeks glowing and looked down, a smirk on her face.

The group all headed towards the station, more and more hopeful and eased as they got closer and closer and the happy and calming atmosphere around them began to sink in. The fresh clean air, the frosty ice that could be seen stuck to some of the windows or bits of the street they passed, the laughs of the children playing...all of it was so cheerful. It was a nice change from what the group had been used to for a while.

Once they reached the station, Jaune quickly went up to the ticket booth, where a man stood. But as soon as he made eye contact with the man, he froze, his mouth dropping open. The others behind him also did the same, just as surprised as he was.

The ticket man had icy blue eyes, a striking and almost unusual feature. His hair was snowy white, half of its semi-spiky locks covered by a dark blue cap with a train symbol identical to the one of the station's sign. His skin had a natural paleness to it, and it looked smooth and flawless.

All together in general, he seemed to be in excellent shape, and almost appeared to be sophisticated in some way. Too much to be working at some train station in this small town. But his handsome face and oddly snowy features weren't all that caught them all off guard.

It was how strikingly similar he looked to Weiss.

"Hello and welcome to Nix Station," he began in a friendly voice, looking up from his tickets, "How can I help..." His sentence trailed off as he noticed how shocked Jaune and the others looked, staring at him. "Can I help you?" he asked slowly, confused.

Jaune just stared, his mind racing around and throwing images of Weiss and images of this man together in a confused and crazed flurry. He was absolutely flabbergasted. His mouth closed suddenly, bitting down on his tongue after he received a quick jab from Ruby, who was suddenly standing right next to him, still staring at the ticket man.

"Oh!" Jaune said, snapping back to reality and remembering why he was here in the first place, "Uh-yeah! Um, we need..." He whipped around and glanced around at everyone behind him, counting them each as his gaze scanned across them. "Nine tickets to...erm..uh." He turned around again and looked at Qrow, his eyes begging for the name of the city Maria was in.

Qrow rolled his eyes, his arms crossed. "The main city of Atlas," he answered roughly, still looking at the ticket man, "To the entering point."

Jaune nodded and turned back to the ticket man, still surprised at his appearance. Nervously, he quickly continued his request, tripping over almost every word as he continuously stared at the man. "The main city of the-er, I mean, Atlas...the main entering-"

"Yes, yes, I heard you friend over there," the ticket man said, shaking his head with a chuckle, "And I can get you a ticket there." He reached down into his little booth window and pulled out nine little white and red tickets, all stacked in his palm, which was gloved with a white leather glove. But as Jaune went to take them, he held his hand back a little, narrowing his eyes as he made eye contact with him.

"But first I have to ask why," he said, suddenly very firm sounding. The suspicion in his voice made the group nervous, and Jaune, all sweaty and slightly shaking, had to answer. He was standing right there, anyway.

"Well," Jaune began, racking his brain for a valid excuse, "I-uh..." But his brain suddenly just seemed to blank out, and he couldn't find his words. Panicked, he fumbled to say something, but his voice wouldn't work. The ticket man's icy eyes were locked with his, and they were overpowering and cold.

"Why does it matter to you where we're going?" Qrow asked, taking a step closer with his hands carelessly in his pocket, "Mind your own business."

The ticket man's eyes squinted as he focused his vision on Qrow, the suspicion on his face and in his voice growing.

"Because I've been given orders by the Atlas Military to be wary of trespassers," he answered strictly, "And that being said, I cannot allow any suspicious persons to pass through this station or town without any valid reasoning or information, let alone go into the main city."

"What, did you memorize some sort of pamphlet or something?" Qrow asked, "Like I said before, mind your own business."

The ticket man's eyes seemed to burn into Qrow's soul, as if reaching for the answer behind his eyes. He closed his hand containing the tickets and drew it back, putting them back into the bin they had first been in. Stepping out from his little booth, he approached Qrow, his hands bunched into fists. The rest of his appearance also slightly surprised the group.

His coat, which was a deep royal blue, was fastened together with various silver zippers and buttons, all of which shined when the sunlight hit them. His white pants had silver chains wrapped around his calves, fastening his large, polished black boots to himself tighter. A large sliver sword was mounted onto his back, another silver chain holding it onto his back tighter, and a black strap went across his shoulder, going across his chest.

He was rather tall, about two inches above Qrow's head, and he looked down into Qrow's maroon eyes with his icy blue ones. Qrow, although starting to feel slightly intimidated, stood his ground, and stared up at the ticket man, a glare in his eyes.

"State your business," the ticket man demanded. Qrow just kept glaring. Ruby held Oscar's hand as tightly as she could, her heart racing with fear and nervousness. What if he attacked Qrow? What if he attacked all of them? What if he won? Oscar's hand squeezed back.

"What's your name?" Qrow asked, surprising the group, "You look a strange lot like someone I know."

The ticket man, although slightly surprised himself, showed no facial difference. Surprising everyone else again, he answered briefly with a grunt, ending in everyone's mouths dropping open again.

"Vorst Schnee."

* * *

"Now just hold still, Ms. Schnee," the nurse said, gently applying a dab more of the strong smelling ointment she had poured into a small glass dish. Weiss sat in the soft, plushy chair, nearly every one of her cuts and scrapes having a thin film of ointment covering them.

She felt oily for some reason, after sitting in the rather warm nurse's room and having been treated from top to bottom with ointments and creams for almost an hour now. Sighing, she turned and looked at a large flowery painting that was nailed to the wall, resting her head up against the back of her seat. Her long white ponytail spilled over the side of it and waved slightly from the flow of the air conditioner that was in the wall beside her.

"Aaaand you're done," the nurse said, sticking one last bandaid onto her knee, standing up and clapping her hands together. "About another day or two and you'll be right as rain! You can probably take the bandaids off tomorrow, if you want to. Your aura should get all those ones gone soon enough."

"Thank you very much," Weiss said formally, rising from the chair. The nurse smiled and nodded.

"It's good to have you back again, Ms. Schnee."

And with that, Weiss left the nurse's room, glad to get a breath of the cooler air of the hallway. The same white and blue colors met her eyes again, and then she looked down at her dress, smiling at how the colors seemed to contrast the colors around her.

"The black really doesn't look bad," she murmured to herself as she looked down and flicked her skirt with a grin, "Guess Blake's choice of color wasn't actually that bland." She smiled again and sighed, already missing her friends. It had only been about 3 hours since she had gotten here, and yet, she missed them.

"You know, I do think Father might find the black a little...offensive," came a smooth voice in front of her. Startled, Weiss looked up, only to lock eyes with a familiar blue pair as her own. Forcing a smile, she nodded to him.

"Hello, Whitley!" she said, a little too cheerfully, "How are you this fine afternoon?" She mentally facepalmed at her over-exaggeration.

"I am doing quite well, sister," he answered, not at all acknowledging his sister's false optimism, "And yourself?" His hand was behind his back as usual, and he looked no different from when she had left.

"Quite well, thank you," she answered politely. Whitely looked up for a moment before continuing, nothing in his voice portraying as much emotion as his words would have been. He was turning into a mini Jacques, that was for sure.

"I was surprised to hear from Father that you had decided to come back home," he said, "And I will have to say, you surprised me too. Although, I will ask...why? Why come home on your own free will, going against every little thing you've ever seemed to live for. Why suddenly leave your own veiled view of freedom alone in the dust?"

Weiss sighed and looked down, gathering her acting skills again.

"I-I was attacked," she began slowly, "My whole team. We were attacked and then-then...I lost someone I cared about, and then the others left me, and...and..." She felt a tear roll down her cheek, partially on its own. "And Father was right."

She looked back up, a confident expression on her face. "He was right about the outside world, right about Beacon, right about everything! I _wasn't _ready for what was out there. I _wasn't _ready for betrayal from friends. I wasn't ready for what I didn't know existed. And the funny thing is, I'm glad."

"Because you aren't blind anymore?" Whitley finished, a sly grin on his face. Weiss answered with a nod.

"Maybe now you can see why you were stripped of your position as heiress," Whitely said smoothly, arousing more furious anger inside of Weiss, forced to keep it hidden, "You were never truly meant to the be the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. I was. Which is why Father rightfully chose me to take your place."

Weiss could hardly bear the anger and frustration that was surging through her, making her face hot and her fists clench. But she unclenched them, knowing better. If he saw it, he would surely think that she wasn't really wanting to be here or something like that. Or maybe that she was just jealous of his position. But either way, it wouldn't help the situation.

"Yes, I agree," she forced herself to say. She just hoped it hadn't sounded as forced as it had felt. Whitley just smiled and answered smoothly back,

"I know."

And with that, he straitened his collar and and put his arm formally behind his back again. "Father wishes to see you," he said as he began walking away, "And welcome home, sister."

Sucking in a deep breath, Weiss winced at those words. She really did not want to see Jacques right now, and she had to, otherwise it would stir suspicion. Well, she couldn't really _not _go report to him. He would just send Klein to go get her or something. Maybe she could just argue that she didn't feel well...

Sighing, she began the long, uneventful way through the maze of the mansion, passing through halls and corridors and doors and rooms, the only people she passed by being either servants or butlers, busy with their work. The whole place was so quiet and empty, filled with possessions but not with love or family. Just people and things. And money, lots of money.

Once she walked up to the door title "Jacques Schnee", she slowly held her hand up to knock. The loud sound of shouting, muffled by the thick door, could be heard inside. But to her surprise, it wasn't James Ironwood, but someone else. A woman.

"It's my money too, you scoundrel!" the woman screamed, fuming with anger, "I can use it if I please!"

"And who gave you the authority to say such things to me?!" Jacques yelled furiously, "I it _my _money that _I _have earned. If I don't allow it, you will not be allowed, Willow!"

"We share in our deposits! _I need a drink_!"

"Shut up, woman!"

A loud, fluent flow of cursing followed, erupting on both sides of the argument.

Weiss winced a those words. Although she hated it when her mother drank, she absolutely _despised _it when her father continuously shouted at her mother, and in that way. Calling her "woman" and then cursing at her...It was all so hard to take or bear. And then when her mother shouted back at him, saying the same things...

Hugging her arms around herself, she closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the whole argument to cease. But it didn't. It raged on and one, seeming to get worse and worse until they were pretty much _only _cursing. Few normal words in between sentences, they kept on screaming, swearing at each other.

Weiss was battling her inner fear and was just about to open the door when the sound of glass shattering came. A piercing scream followed, and with it an angry shout. Weiss held her breath, afraid of what would come next. But only silence remained, nothing else. Weiss could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest, and she noticed that her knees were slightly shaking.

After nearly a minute had gone by of nothing but silence, Weiss sigh and then took a deep breath, slowly reaching out her hand to the doorknob. Then she grasped it, the metal feeling cold under her fingers. Carefully opening the door, she stepped in, gently closing it behind her and keeping her back to her father's desk as she did so. Slowly turning around, she looked up and stared at her father, who sat at his desk.

The room looked normal, except for the broken glass that was scattered in the corner, accompanied by some sort of dent in the wall above it. Weiss saw her mother sitting on one of the chairs that lined the side of his office, a tired and angry look in her sky blue eyes. Her messy white hair was undone from its usual bun, and it lay untidily on her shoulders, stray locks here and there. She looked as if she had just woken up and got dressed.

"Weiss," Jacques greeted calmly, as if the whole ordeal had never happened, "Thank you for coming."

Weiss nodded, trying to look positive, but traces of fear still lingered on her face. "Of course."

Jaques seemed to notice right away, and he folded his white gloved hands together in front of him. Twitching his mustache, he cleared his throat.

"Weiss, I am very sorry if you heard what was happening a minute ago," he said with his fake sounding sincerity, "Your mother was just trying to cause more havoc on this family. Pay no heed to her." He gestured to her mother, who glared down at the floor as he did so.

Weiss looked at her, a feeling of sympathy beginning to rise in her. Willow was just as much a victim as she and Winter were, only, she wasn't exactly being controlled by Jaques like her and Winter were. She was just stuck with him, drinking to try and numb the anger and pain she was feeling from him.

"So..," Weiss began again. snapping her gaze from her mother back up to Jacques, "What did you want to talk about?" She tried to maintain a relatively happy feeling about her. It was false and forced, but it wasn't too bad, really. It apparently sounded fine to Jacques.

"Well, Weiss, as you know, we are having another fundraiser tonight," he began, making Weiss inwardly groan, "And as before, I think the guests would absolutely _love _to hear you sing for them again. It really did seem to make them feel more generous, and now, with our dust limitations, it would help us more than ever."

Weiss just smiled and nodded her head, looking as if she was very happy about this.

"Of course," she said, "I would love to. It's been _ages _since I've really practiced anything, anyway." It was true. She hadn't sang much at all since she had escaped last time. She had been far too busy with all of the matters of the Relic, the gods, Salem...all that craziness.

Jacques smiled lightly and nodded, satisfied. "Thank you, my dear."

Willow grunted from her seat, making Weiss glance at her. Jacques rolled his eyes and waved his hand at Weiss, gesturing for her to leave. "That will be all, thank you." Weiss smiled cheerfully and nodded, resulting with another grunt from her mother. Turning to the door, she quickly opened it, exited, and then closed it, feeling relief to be out.

She glanced down at her bandaid-covered legs and sighed. She didn't like having all of those things stuck to her skin, and she didn't like all of the cuts she had. They still hurt a little, and the ointment the nurse had put on stung a little. She had felt worse things, but right now, in the midst of this land of comfort, it was annoying.

Just as she was starting to walk down the hall, headed for the balcony where she had often trained with Winter, the door behind her suddenly flung open. It startled Weiss, making her jump, and she immediately looked behind her. Willow was there, her heels clacking as she walked over to Weiss. The heavy door behind her slammed loudly shut, causing a draft of air to blow past her hair.

Weiss, startled stood there, wide eyed and confused. Willow grabbed Weiss sharply by the shoulder, held her firm, and began leading her quickly away, her heels hitting the floor harder and harder and echoing as they progressed across the hallways, Weiss having no other choice but to walk along with her mother. Although Weiss was walking with equal speed to Willow, she continued to hold on tightly to Weiss's shoulder, making it hurt a little.

After a few minutes, they reached Weiss's room, and Willow, surprising Weiss, kicked the doors open, stepping in before they slammed shut. She lead Weiss over to her bed, set her roughly on it, and then stood in front of her, an angry look on her tired face.

"Weiss," she instructed strictly, "Sit still and talk to me. Anything I ask, you answer honestly. _Completely _honestly, do you understand me?!"

Weiss, flustered, nodded her head vigorously. She had seen her mother angry at her, but never like this. This was just downright strange and unexpected. What had she done? Had she infuriated her mother just by agreeing to sing for Jacques fundraiser tonight? No, but that wasn't like her. She didn't get mad over those types of things...at least not like that.

"Alright," Willow began, her voice just short of yelling, "_What happened to you_? _Why_ did you just come back, and _why_ are you still here?!"

Weiss swallowed hard, not knowing what to say.

"I-I was hurt and I n-needed-" she began, but Willow abruptly caught her off, actually yelling now.

"No!" she yelled sharply, "_Why _did you just come back and _why _are you still here?!"

"Because I was h-hurt and-"

"NO! That _isn't you_! Tell me right now: Why did you come back like that?!"

Weiss felt her whole self shaking. She was afraid of her mother. She had been slapped by her before, but on the rarest occasions. Her general attitude, how she acted, how much she yelled...it had all built up over the years as she had started drinking. And now, even as an adult now, she was still afraid of her. Rarely did she ever see her very often, and rarely was she visibly afraid of her.

Now was that rare time, and she didn't know what to say. She was dumbstruck.

"You aren't answering me!" Willow screamed, "_Answer_!"

"Because I needed to!" Weiss shouted back, standing up from her bed and facing her mother directly. The two of them glared at each other with their blue eyes, Willow's furious and Weiss's angry. They stood there, eye to eye and waited for one of them to do something.

"Why did you need to?" Willow asked flatly, folding her arms and stepping back, swaying her hip to the side.

"For reasons I won't explain," Weiss answered back hotly.

"That's not an answer," Willow grunted, "Give me something real."

"No."

"You _will_."

"No."

"WEISS SCHNEE!" her mother shrieked, "You will respect me as your mother and you will tell me the truth!"

"Well what if the truth should be kept a secret?!" Weiss shot back with childish sass. Willow's fury suddenly melted away, revealing a flat and boring face, once again tired and exasperated. Arms still folded, she stepped back again, shifting her hip to the other side.

"So you're going to leave again, are you?" she asked. Weiss exhaled angrily and looked down at her shoes.

"Maybe."

"So that's a yes? Planning on gaining your father's true love or attachment, and then ripping away again, leaving behind some sort of wound?"

"No."

"Weiss, dear, you're not making sense."

"I know."

Willow "ughed" and turned to the side, her heel clacking. She turned her head towards Weiss, her unkept hair spilling down her back and over her shoulder.

"What has he done to you?" she asked, some sort of exasperation in her voice, "Now you are not making sense _and _knowing it."

Weiss frowned and shook her head. "He didn't do this to me; there are just too many things you don't know." She put her hands on her hips and looked hard at her mother, "You'd think I was blabbering off nothing but balderdash."

"Weiss, honey, I'd believe just about _anything _now," Willow said, "Nothing is as it seems; Jacques has made that _perfectly _clear to both of us. Well, really to all three of is, if you're including our other little snowflake."

"Winter?"

Willow nodded, some sort of tired smile on her lips. "Though, I think she's figured that out without him; she's a big girl, now."

Weiss sighed and looked down again. She missed Winter and longed to see her sister again. It felt like ages ago when she had met up with her at the Tournament. Back when Beacon still stood and nothing was so secretive and messed up...

"So why are you here?" Willow repeated. She uncrossed her arms and folded them behind her back, standing up straight in front of Weiss again. Weiss sighed and looked down.

"I'm trying to do something important. _Very _important," she began hesitantly, "But I can't tell _anyone_, or it all goes down. I know you might not say anything, but I promised not to tell, and none of it would make sense to you, anyway. Even if you'd believe me."

Willow shook her head and laughed lightly. "Of course," she said coldly.

"If you could just trust me," Weiss continued, "I'm still on you and Winter's side. I would never have come back here again, if it weren't part of our plan. After I leave again, I'm _never _coming back."

"_Our _plan?" Willow asked with a disdainful sniff.

"My team and...well, the others involved with the plan."

Willow sighed and rolled her eyes, turning to face the door.

"Well, I don't care about any of what you just said," she said flatly, "And I can't even remember why I pulled you in here in the first place. Just go ahead and do whatever you want...Like I can do anything about anything that goes on in this household."

She walked to the door and opened it, pausing before she left. "Have a good recital tonight, honey." And with that, she closed the door harshly behind her, leaving Weiss alone again.

Confused, but relieved that her mother and Jacques were gone now, Weiss sighed and sat down in her chair, watching the ships and birds go by again.

* * *

**Another late update, and another longer chapter! Sorry for the inconvenience, but at least it's out now, right? **

**Nix is Latin for snow, by the way. A lot of the town names I'm using are from various languages, words that have some sort of connection with the town or the reason I was writing the town. Same goes for CMSN, my OC fanfic. **

**Ooooohh...cliffhanger on Vorst Schnee! Who is he? Is he related to Weiss? Is he evil? Vorst is Old Dutch for frost. I would've done German, like Weiss, but the German for frost wasn't very cool sounding. Please let me know how I did writing Willow Schnee! I hope it wasn't too weird...:P**

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters!**


	12. Well, That Was Oddly Fast

The group all stared at Vorst Schnee, their mouths wide open and their eyes wide with shock. Even Qrow's face, which hadn't shifted much at all from its stubborn expression, had small hints of surprise in it. The whole group was speechless and absolutely stoked. No one said a word, but just stood there staring at him.

Vorst, who was still looking down at Qrow, noticed his slight expression of surprise, and looked around himself at everyone else. He saw their shocked faces, wide eyes, open mouths, their bodies that were frozen to their spots. Then his face softened into a medium expression, one that contained no anger and no confusion.

"What about me surprises you all?" he asked abruptly, after a few more moments of silence. The group all shattered out of their confused and shocked states and began rebooting their minds again. None of them could really fathom the man in front of them right now, and it was really throwing them all off track. But they recomposed themselves enough to to talk and listen to what he said.

"What about me surprises you?" he repeated again. It wasn't until Ruby found her voice and blurted out,

"Schnee?! Like, Weiss Schnee?!"

That sentence seemed to fill in everyone's minds again, and they all relaxed themselves, still confused, but more composed. Vorst nodded his head thoughtfully, his face still holding that same medium expression. He seemed quite observant, as his eyes darted around, taking in all of the people around him.

"The heiress to the Schnee Dust Company," he said, taking a step away from Qrow, "Sister to Winter Schnee; brother to Whitley Schnee; daughter of Willow and Jacques Schnee. Yes, I am familiar with that name."

"Well, _yeah_!" Nora said, stepping her right foot forward and holding out her hand for emphasis, "That _is _your last name, right?" Ren lightly touched her arm, reminding her to not get too crazy or talkative. Although he himself was extremely curious, he had no idea who this man was. He did look capable of combat though, just from his appearance and the sword on his back.

There was no point in causing a fight not needed. Nora accepted Ren's reminder with a silly grunt, stepping back a little and rolling her eyes at him, as if saying, _I wouldn't be _that _careless, ya know!_

"If you heard me right, that _is _what I said when I introduced myself," Vorst answered.

Qrow narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously. Leaning over, he whispered in Oscar's ear,

"Do you have _any _idea who this guy is?"

Oscar thought for a moment, trying to recall any memory of a Vorst Schnee. Scratching his head, he looked down in thought, going through the _volumes _of memories he had inherited from all fo Ozpin's past lives.

"I don't know..," he whispered back, still deep in thought, "I mean, James Ironwood mentioned something about taking in a Schnee into Atlas Academy. And I...I -Oz, think I said something congratulating or encouraging or something like that." He shook his head. "I have no idea."

"Yeah, well that could've been talk about Weiss or Winter or something," Qrow whispered, "No telling who it really was or how accurate." Oscar just shook his head again, clearly confused and unable to supply an answer.

"Wait, so are you her uncle or dad or something?" Ruby asked, trying to learn more about him. Vorst just shook his head.

"None of the above," he said simply. When he gave no answer after that, the group inwardly groaned. He certainly didn't seem that open to just sharing information about who he was. His information was scant and vague..

"Look," Yang said, gaining some of her confidence, "If you're gonna be so shady and vague about _your _past, why would you expect us to be so open about _our _business?"

Vorst just sighed and shook his head.

"Do I _need _to tell you about my own personal life?" he said, "Because not explaining and being hesitant to explain reasons for going into Atlas's _main _city and personal background and information are _very _different."

"Well they don't seem too different to me!" Yang said, loading her gauntlet and stepping forward.

"Yang!" Qrow growled, "Stop it."

Yang rolled her eyes and stepped back, an annoyed look on her face. Ren gave her the same warning glance he had given Nora. Yang rolled her eyes again and nodded her affirmative answer without sincerity.

"I'm simply just stopping you due to security reasons and orders," Vorst continued calmly, "I, personally, don't want to keep you from your goal. I just need to be certain none of you are invaders or trespassers, going to Atlas's rich city with plans of thievery or evil involved."

The group exchanged glances, confused and unsure of what to do next.

"What if we're just visiting someone?" Blake asked slowly, folding her arms. Vorst turned to face her, his icy eyes piercing into Blake's amber ones.

"Then you need to give me some sort of info regarding either your residency or social standing," Vorst answered briefly, "Such as, where you were born along with your name, or what school you attended at any point. We have all of that info on our nifty computer inside this station."

"Woah," Jaune said, "That's _some _technology!"

"It really is," Vorst agreed, "Atlas _is _known for its advancement in technology." He turned back to Blake again, making her uncomfortable with his gaze. "Who are you visiting?"

"Well, as a matter of fact," Ruby cut in, zipping in front of Blake, just as she was opening her mouth to reply, "We're visiting Weiss Schnee!"

Vorst raised a brow at her, prodding her for more information.

"Well, you see," Ruby began, talking faster and faster as her sentence progressed, "Me, Yang, and Blake over there are her teammates from our team at Beacon Academy! We're team RWBY and I'm the leader, if you could guess! The others with us are from team JNPR, and they're her friends, too! We decided to surprise visit her 'cause that's what best friends do, and I, personally am the _best _at it!"

She finished her sentence out of breath, and finished it by taking in a huge gasp of air, panting afterwards. Vorst turned and looked at everyone again, his face slightly satisfied.

"Is this true?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah!" Jaune said, "We can give you our information and everything!" With more nods from the groups, Vorst shrugged.

"Well okay then," he said simply, "Follow me." With that, he led all of them inside of the station, into a cozy wooden room filled with file cabinets, ticket bins, and a large computer-like machine that stood in the corner.

The group all looked at each other, puzzled out of their minds. Did he just accept what they said and act as if nothing had happened? Did he really believe them? Was it just some sort of plan to get rid of them?

"Well, that was oddly fast," Yang whispered in Ruby's ear as they watched Vorst make his way across the room. Ruby answered back with an agreeing nod. "And kinda suspicious."

Vorst walked over to the computer, pressed the power button, and waiting for a few moments for the screen to flash white and then go to some sort of menu option. Clicking various buttons and touching options on the screen, he came to a massive list of team names, categorized under the four Academies.

"Names, please, members of team RWBY," he said, clicking on a button titled, "RWBY".

"Ruby Rose," Ruby answered, unable to contain the bit of pride she had, "I'm the leader."

"Blake Belladonna."

"Yang Xiao Long."

"And Weiss Schnee is currently in her home at the Schnee Manor," Vorst finished, typing in a few more things. A large synopsis-type note popped up on the screen, along with several individual photos of each member of the team, and the he exited it. "JNPR".

"Jaune Arc."

"Nora Valkerie!"

"Lie Ren."

"And Pyrrha Nikos is deceased, due to the Fall of Beacon," Vorst finished again, bringing a sting to Jaune's heart. Just the mention of her name was enough to cause unhappy or grievous emotions to make a presence inside of him.

"Yeah," Jaune confirmed, looking down to hide the look on his face. Ruby glanced over at him, almost immediately sensing the pain in his face. Taking a step towards him, she placed a hand on his shoulder, her face also sorrowful. She smiled faintly at him, trying to comfort him without saying anything. Jaune looked painfully up at her, smiling faintly at her in return.

_Another ray of hope of still having Ruby left, _Jaune's grief-struck mind sighed as he looked at her, _At least she knows me enough to feel my pain with me._

Vorst looked back at the group, scanning over their faces again. He looked at Qrow, then at Oscar, and then back at the screen of the computer devise. He typed a few things more on it, exited a few pages, and then went back to another page with more long lists of names.

"Who're those two guys?" he asked, still looking at the screen. Qrow rolled his eyes and stepped forwards.

"Qrow Branwen," he said, "Member of team STRQ; professional huntsman; graduated from Beacon Academy."

Vorst had Qrow's name and information up in a moment's time, the all too familiar photo of team STRQ showing up behind a picture of Qrow. Clicking several more buttons, selecting a few more options from the screen, and looking through a few maps, he finally turned to Oscar.

"And you?"

Oscar hesitated, not knowing at all what to say. Who would believe him if he said that he was the reincarnation of Professor Ozpin of Beacon? Nobody other than Ozpin's inner circle, Salem and her crew, and the other headmasters knew about Ozpin's reincarnation process. This Vorst Schnee wasn't a part of Ozpin's inner circle, as Oscar could recall, and he certainly wasn't a headmaster.

He was merely a huntsman, likely trained from Atlas Academy. What did he know?

"I, um..," he began slowly, racking his brain for something to say, "I'm a friend...of theirs." He gestured towards team RWBY, mentally facepalming as he did so.

_Way to look totally unsuspicious, _he sarcastically cheered to himself, _Woo hoo._

Vorst's eyes squinted as he opened a new window on the screen and glanced back at Oscar, an unreadable and strange expression on his face. He stared into Oscar's eyes with his icy blue ones, making a chill go through him. His eyes were cold and almost frightening, seeming to bear down into his soul.

"Name?" he asked, still staring deeply at him. Oscar swallowed.

"Oscar Pine."

"Place of birth?"

"Zimt, Mistral."

Vorst turned around and quickly began to type into the computer, exiting pages, opening new ones, and selecting things, all in a brief, swift matter of time. He seemed to know how to operate this machine quite well, as he flew through the steps of everything with some sort of professional ease.

After a few short moments and to what seemed like an eternity to Oscar, he turned around, shut the computer off, and clapped his hands together. With some sort of a light smile, he looked at the group, nodded his head, and walked over to one of the ticket bins.

"Atlas's main city, here you go," he said, pulling out exactly nine tickets from the bin. Walking over to them, he handed each of them one, including Oscar, who was feeling very confused. The whole group was. "The next train bound there should be arriving in about 20 minutes."

Ruby exchanged a joyful glance with Jaune, and then Oscar. But it faded when she saw the confusion on their faces. Blake, Yang, and Ren all shared the look as well. Qrow just looked downright suspicious. And not just obviously, but more in the way that he did whenever he was suspicious but didn't want the person to know.

Ruby looked questioningly at Nora, who just shrugged back. Looking back at Vorst, she watched as he typed up a price on a touchscreen device on the wall nearby. "120 lien," he said as the number showed up big and bold on the screen.

Qrow rolled his eyes and walked over, pulling the money from his pocket. He always seemed to have some convenient amount somewhere on him at all times. How relevant. With a grunt, he handed the lien to Vorst, who took it, walked back to the register, and checked the tickets out.

Ruby looked down at the little red and white ticket in her hand, her gaze staring down at the large bold letters that spelled "Atlas" on it. The host of other numbers and letters went unread by her as she closed her hand with the ticket in it and walked over to Oscar. She lightly nudged him on the shoulder, catching his attention.

"Is it kinda weird how he just sort of...listened to us right away?" Ruby whispered, "I mean, he was really suspicious about us before."

"I honestly have little conception on the matter," he whispered back, the familiar tone of Ozpin's voice in his, "I suppose we'll have to let Qrow adjudicate-" he paused abruptly and cleared his throat, as if realizing something. "Have Qrow _decide _it for us," he finished.

Shaking his head with a light chuckle, he whispered back again, "I guess Oz really wants me to develop my vocabulary." Ruby just lightly smiled back at him, but then looked down. She didn't like it when Oscar unintentionally drifted into his Ozpin side. She just wanted Oscar to be Oscar; no one else.

"Alright, kids," Qrow spoke up, catching their attention, "Time to wait for the next train. I suggest you guys just sit outside and wait for it; don't mess around." He made a little grunt and stole a glance at Vorst, who stood watching them intently. Then he gestured for them to follow him, and he stepped outside of the station building, the group following.

Once they made it back outside, they all stood there, in front of the station, and waited. A single train was in the process of being loaded when they stepped out, and it left a few minutes afterwards, filled to the limits with people. It had begun to snow, and the flakes were thick and fluffy, adding to the already heavy covering of snow outside.

The air was a little chillier, and the breeze had picked up some, sending goosebumps up their skin. Blake, who still hadn't gotten a substitute for the coat that Adam had sliced off, wished even more that she had one, as she was the most uncovered of the group.

Hugging her arms around her body, she shivered, hoping she wouldn't draw too much attention on herself from the group. In that moment of cold chilliness, she suddenly had the image and thought of Sun standing beside her, his muscular, warm arms around her, protecting her from the breeze. She was feeling her heart beat a bit faster when she snapped out of her trance, Ruby standing in front of her.

"You okay, Blake?" she asked, mild concern in her high pitched voice. Blake's ears twitched slightly as she refocused onto her team leader.

"Huh?" she began, just noticing her, "Oh, yeah. Just a little chilly. Kind of wish Adam hadn't cut my coat off." She smiled lightly but felt another ping of sadness. She still felt horrible about Adam. His last angry shouts at her and Yang before they had killed him still stung her and engrossed her in more thought. It was not a fun thing to do.

"Okay." Ruby nodded and carefully pulled off her hood, holding it like a blanket in her arms. "Here," she said, wrapping it warmly around Blake's shoulders, "This'll help."

"Oh, Ruby, I didn't-" Blake began to protest, knowing how much Ruby seemed to like her hood, "You don't need to...but you love to wear this, and-"

"Blake." Ruby turned her head to look at her, her back facing Blake.

"Huh?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll take it back once the train arrives." She smiled faintly and walked next to Oscar. Glancing around her, she saw Jaune, talking to Qrow, and the others, who seemed either engrossed in their scrolls, or watching the railroad intently for the train to arrive.

Carefully and gingerly, she snuggled into Oscar's arm, smiling at his warmth and touch. Oscar, slightly surprised and very cautious, looked alertly around, wondering if Ruby had lost her mind. Seeing that no one was watching at all, he sighed and lightly snuggled her back, smiling softly. But both of the were refraining from snuggling and hugging each other as much as they really wanted to.

Ruby wanted to bury herself deep into his side, wanting his arms to go comfortingly around her and his head to rest against hers, his large, callused hands to rub her slightly enlarged belly...Oscar just wanted to hold her snugly in a long, warm hug, not letting go, and almost wanted to cry into her shoulder or something.

This whole mess with the baby and Ozpin and Salem and keeping Ruby safe...it was all a horrible thing that haunted him every day and night. The weight of the responsibility of fixing all of it, of being the hero when he didn't want to, of cleaning up his past reincarnate's mistakes. It was always there in his mind, constantly nagging at him, pulling, snarling.

He often just tossed it to the back of his mind, knowing it was there and knowing thoroughly knowing its purpose. He almost never went all emotional about it, and never had the need to. It was all just heaped up in there, and if he wanted to, he could dump it all out in tears. But now wasn't the time, and he didn't need to do it. He was fine. Numb to its scorning, and fine with it at the moment.

The breeze began to blow a little colder, making Ruby start to shiver, and the snowfall increased, heavier and faster. Oscar felt her shivering and, after glancing around again, pulled her a little closer to him, carefully opening his olive green coat and pulling her partially into its warmth and protection. Ruby almost automatically snuggled a little deeper into it, breathing in Oscar's scent.

"Looks like we're in for a storm," Qrow finally said, leaning against one of the posts, "Good thing we aren't going to be walking for a while."

Jaune nodded his head in agreement, his thoughts all tangled together with the plan and the general status of everything. He glanced at Nora and Ren, who were both contributing some of their warmth to each other. Nora was leaned up agains't Ren's chest, and Ren's arms were around her.

Blake was standing there, looking a little odd with Ruby's hood wrapped around her shoulders, the wind blowing her thick black hair around. Yang was leaning against one of the posts opposite to Qrow, her arms folded across her chest as the wind blew her mop of golden hair to the side and past her face.

Ruby was...well, standing next to Oscar. Looking down, Jaune felt another wave of disappointment wash over him. He crossed his arms and ignored the cold chill of the wind and the thick white flakes that were blowing past his face. Ruby was either standing a little in front of Oscar, or a little too close to him.

"What am I even wanting," Jaune mumbled to himself, looking down at the snow that was building up a little by his shoe, "For Ruby to somehow like me, despite the fact that she's around Oscar all the time?" He sighed. "Pathetic, Jaune."

Qrow, who was still leaning up against one of the posts, looked out at the slowly growing storm. It was getting thicker and thicker, and all he could do was hope that the tracks wouldn't get all clogged. That would be a disaster.

Glancing briefly behind him again, he saw Vorst, still sitting patiently in his booth and staring at his scroll. The light from it lit up his face and his icy blue eyes, and reflected light off the shiny plastic covering of each of the tickets in the bucket beside him. He looked so calm, so patient, but for some reason, he looked like something else, too.

For a little while, Qrow almost thought he saw some sort of sadness, or longingness. But a real word for it, he didn't know. It was just some sort of feeling that didn't look evil or suspicious, and didn't look happy or anything. It was soft, too.

_Weird._

A shrill train whistle sounded, startling many of them, and it sounded closer and closer at it repeated, the twin bright lights of a train nearing. The sounds of the train's wheels on the tracks came closer and closer, and soon enough, the train hissed to a stop in front of them, steam pouring out and then slowly fading from view.

"It's finally here!" Nora exclaimed excitedly with relief, "Thank goodness!" She wiped her hand dramatically across her brow and sighed. Ren smiled softly and gently took Nora's hand. Then the two approached the train.

Jaune sighed, watching the snowflakes fall by his face, and then looked up, glad to see the train, but otherwise emotionless. He just wanted to get out of the cold and inside the train. Ruby, who was just about asleep, despite the fact that she was standing, was woken up by Oscar, who gestured to the train in front of them. She straightened up and quickly stepped into the now open doors, sighing with relief at the warmth of the interior.

"Not a bad lookin' train," Yang commented as the group had just about finished filling into it, "Needs more seats per row, though."

A single long bench on each side of the car provided enough space for the group to all sit. Blake yawned and walked over to Ruby, who had eagerly sat down. Pulling the hood from her shoulders, she handed it over to her team leader, a grateful look on her face.

"Thanks, Ruby," Blake said, holding the bright red cloak to Ruby. Ruby smiled lightly, nodded, and grabbed it, putting it on as soon as she had possession of it again. It felt so good to have it on her shoulders again, the bright red visible out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey, where's Qrow?" Jaune asked as he looked over the group. Indeed, Qrow wasn't yet in the car, and the group all exchanged glances of confusion. Ruby laid down on the firm wooden bench, her hood acting partially as a blanket. Curling up, she snuggled into her hood.

"He's still looking at that Vorst guy," came her muffled response. Jaune looked out and saw that Qrow was still standing here, looking suspiciously at Vorst. Holding his hands up to his mouth to amplify his call, Jaune shouted out,

"Hey! We're gonna be leaving soon! Get on!"

Qrow rolled his eyes, mumbled something darkly under his breath, and uncrossed his arms, walking over to the ramp that led up into the train. Stepping inside, he brushed the snow off off of his arms and looked back. Vorst was gone.

"Oh, gosh..," Qrow muttered, shaking his head and closing his eyes. He sighed and looked around at the group, and then at the car they were in. He saw Ruby, curled up like a cat, wrapped snugly with her hood with her eyes closed, a peaceful, tired look on her face.

The doors behind him slowly closed, and team RWBY, ORNJ, and Qrow were all left alone to themselves, safe and warm. Walking over to her, he sat down next to her, smiling lightly. She looked so young like that, reminding him of the time when she had been nothing more than a toddler, and had fallen asleep, curled up in a similar fashion, on the counter at Tai's house.

Her face had been covered in cookie dough and smeared chocolate, her hands in cookie dough, chocolate, _and _sprinkles, and the counter she was sleeping on had been equally messy. Summer had come in to an unpleasant surprise an hour later, scolding Qrow for not watching her while she and Tai were away.

Smirking, Qrow lightly fuzzed the top of her partially covered hair and sighed. She was still a child. She was still his little Short Stack. She was just doing adult work; dealing with adult matters. And now she was exhausted from it. Poor kid.

"So, what are we doing after we get to Atlas's main city or whatever?" Yang asked, picking her nails.

"We're finding Maria and checking on the Relic of Knowledge," Ren answered, "And then we will find the Relic of Creation, with some guidance from Oscar."

"And then?"

"And then we take both Relics and leave to find the Relic of Destruction and the Relic of Choice."

"Okay."

Nora looked irritatedly at Ren, tapping her foot impatiently on the ground. After a few moments of silence, Nora grunted in frustration, unfolding her arms and swatting Ren lightly on his arm, catching his attention.

"Uhm, please speak _English_!" she said. Ren looked confused as he recalled his previous answer.

"I was speaking English."

"Uh, I mean _clearly_! Just say like, the Atlas Relic and he Beacon Relic of whatever. Nobody remembers which are which."

"Um, but Ren just did," Yang said with a chuckle, "Do I need do bring you a dictionary? I have one right here." She pointed to Ren and giggled.

Ren sighed and shook his head. Qrow rolled his eyes and stared at Ruby. Oscar also stared at her, wondering what Qrow was thinking about. Was he suspicious of anything? Well, anything about Ruby and the baby? He sure seemed suspicious about that Vorst guy, even though they had just left him behind. Maybe he was just making sure that Ruby was safe. She was pretty tired.

A low, tired feeling began to weigh on his eyes, even though he hadn't even felt tired before. Yawning, he stretched and leaned his head back against the window pane and the back of the bench he was sitting, closing his eyes. The thoughts and memories of everything going on and everything that had been going on slowly went through his mind as sleep began to claim him.

Meanwhile, Nora flopped down where Ren was sitting, curling up next to him and laying her head on his shoulder. Ren smiled lightly and rest his head against hers, closing his eyes as she did. The two of them looked like they were asleep, so with Ruby and Oscar added to the list, the others became a little more quiet.

Blake, who was still standing by the door, sighed and pulled out her scroll, going to her photo gallery. Scrolling through, she found some older photos of team RWBY back who;e Beacon still stood. A picture of their bunks, a picture of Zwei, who was a blurry, fuzzy blotch on the screen with a pair of eyes, apparently rushing at her.

Blake smirked, continuing to go through her pictures. A silly one with all of them making a strange face; a picture Ruby had taken of Yang giving her a ball of yarn as a "gift"; a beautiful plate of breakfast that she had made herself; a zoomed in fuzzy picture of a dead fish stranded on a rock by the docks.

And then, the smile on her face slowly melting, she saw a picture she had taken of Sun, his arms flexed and his tail blurry from waving wildly around during the taking of the picture. His bright, silly smile and his crazy yellow hair made some kind of sadness go through her. She missed him badly, and wished he hadn't left with Neptune like he had.

He had claimed that he went where he was needed, and that they didn't need him anymore. Of course, he said that they'd probably see him again eventually, and Blake had agreed. But right now, she _really _agreed, saying the words, "I certainly hope not," over and over again in her head. And then the memory of her kissing him on the cheek...

Swallowing the urge to cry, she sniffed and wiped at her slightly teary eyes. She would not go all emotional for some reason, and especially not in front of all the others. Closing her scroll, she tucked it back into her pocket and sat down by Nora, leaving enough room for her and Ren to have some space.

Yang stood leaned up against the wall, looking around at all the sleeping people. Ruby was curled up in her hood, fast asleep, with Qrow sitting beside her and looking down thoughtfully at her. Oscar was sleeping deeply with his head leaned back against the seat so that his noise pointed straight up into the air. Nora and Ren looked like they were sleepy, both of their heads resting on each other.

Jaune just stood by the door, looking down at the wooden boards that served as the floor. His arms folded across his chest, he sighed, the continuous, nagging thoughts of Ruby going through his mind once again. He loved her, that was settled. But weather she loved him too, or if she loved Oscar? He still didn't know.

But one thing was for sure. If things didn't turn our with Ruby, he'd never love anyone else again. His first love had died, and his second one...well, that story was still being told, and he could only hope that it would end happily ever after, like most hero's stories. But then again...

Was he a hero?

* * *

Weiss sat on the couch, an open book in her lap. The warm, blazing fireplace in front of her radiated with heat and bright golden and orange light, making her feel warm and cozy. The barely audible sounds of a nearby maid dusting the shelves of books blended in with the crackling of the fire and the soft sounds of the blizzard outside.

Turning the page, she sighed, wondering if this book could get any duller. She had just grabbed a random one from the shelf about an hour ago, trying to pass time, and ended up with a cheesy book about a dog's journey back to his home or something like that. Her concert was tonight, and she had rehearsed it plenty of times without the piano accompaniment, and she knew full well that she was ready.

Rather than a song about how lonely, angry, and ticked off she was about Jacques, she had written a brief song about how nice a home is to have in the winter. Of course, it was more than that, but she knew her father would likely be watching, and he knew most of how her songs went, as well as the meanings. She was going to need to really convince him that she was "in" now, and so she had strongly disguised this one.

So it sounded more like some sort of gratefulness of having a home during the cold weather of Atlas, a family, and all the care and love anyone could ever need. But in reality, it was talking about how she, Weiss, _wanted _a home and family like the one she had described. But it was really something only she knew, and surely Jacques wouldn't figure it out.

Looking up from her book, which she had miraculously finished nearly a half of it, she watched the light feathers of the maid's duster go back and forth, collecting any possible dust. It was a white duster, of course, and each speck of dust was visible. It looked about ready to be cleaned soon.

Glancing at the large white painted grandfather clock in the corner, she realized that there was only an hour until her performance started. Standing quickly to her feet, she shut the book and walked over the one of the finished shelves, sliding it neatly in its place. Then she quickly left the room, her dress's skirt swaying back and forth as she did so.

She was nearly out of breath once she reached her room again, bursting in through the doors and rushing to the closet, which was packed full of dresses, shoes, and various head adornments. Grabbing a random white dress, she quickly changed, zipping up the silver side zipper that went up her right side and tying the deep blue sash that went tightly round her waist.

Grabbing the matching glass slippers, she slid them on, checking briefly to make sure they were on the right feet. Then she ran to the mirror, letting down her bun and her ponytail and taking out her tiara. Then she grabbed her large brush and began roughly brushing her hair. Once she had finished, she carefully did her hair up in the same, tight bun and then added a silver tiara on top.

Weiss looked at herself in the mirror, admiring her hasty work. The white dress with the silver zipper going up her right side and the deep blue sash across her waist, went down to her ankles, like her other performance dress from a few weeks ago. The silky layers of the dress shimmered ever so sightly in the light of the chandelier that hung in the center of the ceiling, and the fuzzy fluff underneath was sparkly and silver.

Smiling and nodding confidently at herself, she hurried to the auditorium, walking carefully on her glass slippers, which clicked and clacked through the halls as she did so. When she was almost there, she heard another pair of footsteps, perfectly in sync with hers.

Looking to her left, she saw Klein, his hands behind his back and his eyes staring directly into hers. Slightly startled, she jumped, but quickly composed herself, clearing her throat and smiling at him. He happily nodded his greeting.

"Hey, Klein," she said, feeling a little more sunny than a moment ago, "How are you doing? And why are you right here right now?"

"Oh, Ms. Schnee," he said, a smile below his mustache, "I just heard you are performing tonight, and I simply couldn't miss out. You look lovely tonight."

"Thank you! Wait, you mean you're watching me?"

"I will be trying, especially considering how your father is going to be watching you instead of barking at me!"

Weiss laughed, and Klein's eyes turned yellow as he watched her, his face softening. He patted her on the shoulder and nodded.

"I wish you the very best," he said. Weiss smiled and nodded back.

"Thank you, Klein," she answered. With another brief nod, he left, departing into the hallway on her left, his quick, light footsteps trailing off until they couldn't be heard anymore. Then all was silent again, and Weiss was by herself.

Sighing, she continued on her way to the auditorium, hoping that Klein could watch. It was only a few minutes later when she arrived at the large back door to the auditorium, the sounds of a talking crowd audible as she stepped in.

The backstage's familiar darkness, as the lights were not on, the few instruments organized neatly in their places by the back wall, and the large, glossy black grand piano were all there, bringing back many memories, recent and old. A few people were walking around here and there, checking lights and setup, while the slightly visible silhouette of someone stood off by the piano, looking out at the massive crowd.

Taking a deep breath, Weiss passed the few workers, receiving the usual ignorance of them. They acted as she wasn't there and simply continued with her work as she silently walked past. Her hands clasped together, she neared the man by the piano, assuming him to be the pianist.

But when she walked over to him and he turned around, she gasped when she saw his face, recognition and surprise mingling together and mixing her head up. He cocked his head to the side, smirked and then nodded, his light brown eyes glinting in the dim light behind him.

"Hey," he said, leaning casually up against the piano, "Fancy meeting you here."

"Henry?!" Weiss squeaked, gasping and then quickly composing herself. Yes, Henry Marigold was standing right in front of her; the man who had tried to woo her at the charity party a few weeks ago and had failed miserably. Of course, she wouldn't be able to get him away if she acted all surprised and such. She would need to get all straight with him again...

"It's...a pleasure to meet you here," she said, clearing her throat, "Again."

"Well, I do have a reputation of reappearing here and there," Henry answered with a chuckled. He clearly seemed to be trying at her again. "Reconsidering our last argument? I mean, I still don't understand why you wanted me kicked outa that room."

"Well, it was a little...personal."

"Of course it was. Most random outbursts are caused by personal shenanigans."

Weiss crossed her arms stubbornly. "What are you doing here?"

Henry smirked again and lightly patted the top of the piano he was leaning on. "I'm your piano accompaniment, of course." He smiled smugly at Weiss reatction.

"You play piano?"

"Well, it is a quality a fine gentleman should have."

"I'm not so certain that's the case."

"Well, I didn't learn it just for you." He winked and smirked again. "Or did I."

Weiss groaned with frustration and unfolded her arms, letting them rest at her sides. "Fine. Just _please _don't mess up."

"How could I? I can play straight off sheet music without even practicing it at all, which I did."

Weiss shook her head and sighed, turning around and facing the crowd, barely visible behind the deep blue certain concealing them. Walking towards the doorway to the main stage, she stood there and waited for her name to be announced.

In the midst of the crowd talking and the other noises that could be heard before and behind her, a single thought suddenly slipped through her head, reminding her again what was really going on.

_Where are the others at right now?_

* * *

**And I'm back! Thank you all for waiting so patiently! This chapter was fun to write, and hopefully you all enjoyed it. :)**

**Yes, I brought Henry back, just because it made sense and because so many people want him back. He's a little fun to write. And it looks like Jaune is starting to really notice the whole Rosegarden thing happening! Poor Jaune. Poor Ruby and Oscar. Poor everyone. And JUST to keep you guys a little excited and look like I'm not ditching him, this isn't the last you'll see of Vorst Schnee. XD**

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters!**


	13. Buses and Concerts

The group walked through the snow lined streets, traveled enough not to be thick with snow, but snowed on enough for them to leave behind tracks as they went. The cold, biting wind blew roughly around them, wiping their hair and clothes around and making them feel colder and colder. There were very few people walking in the streets, and those who were were bundled in thick, warm coats.

Ruby felt absolutely frigid, shivering violently as the numbing winds blew on her and chilled her more and more. She tried to hold her hood around her shoulders, but then her bare hands were exposed even more to the wind, and then the back of her hood would blow away from her again.

"How close are we to the nearest public building?!" Yang yelled over the loud, howling wind, her arms wrapped around her body.

"I don't know!" Jaune called back, squinting through the thick white snowflakes that swirled around his vision. "I can barely see which building is which!"

"Let's just get all the way into the city and look from there," Qrow shouted, his hand hovered by his eyes to shield them from the snow, "Atlas is a big city; it should have a halfway decent place to rest."

The group continued on, their patience for the cold lessening and lessening. Ruby felt more and more exhausted, and became worried. What if she randomly passed out or something? What if they tried to help her and Oscar couldn't keep them from finding out about the baby? What if that didn't happen, but the baby got hurt?

Clenching her teeth and sucking in a sharp, deep breath of the freezing air, she pressed on, forcing herself to keep her eyes fixed on the road she was walking on. Step by step, minute by minute, breath by breath...

"Over here!" Blake called, pointing stiffly to a large building on their right. Eagerly, the group all followed her into the building, the immediate warmth and light of the building bringing relief to their cold bodies. The door slamming shut behind them, due to the wild wind, they walked forward, shivering and blowing on their hands.

A long, marble counter went along the corner of the wall, a sweet little woman wearing some kind of manager uniform standing behind the counter and looking at a computer. At the sound of the door shutting, she looked up, smiling her greeting.

"Welcome to Cozy 'N Kind Hotel!" she welcomed them, "How can I help you?"

Qrow stepped forward and approached the woman, who's name tag identified her as 'Iris Jones'.

"We're not here for a room," he said, to her surprise.

"But-then why are you here?" she asked questioningly. She crossed her arms and stared at him with her large, blue eyes.

"I was wondering if you could tell me where to find this address," he said, pulling out a piece of paper with Maria's address on it. He set it on the counter and waited as Iris picked it up and looked hard at it. She set it down soon after.

"I'll be right back," she said, turning around and ringing a bell that hung from the wall near the staff entrance. In a few moments, the door opened and another lady, similarly aged as Iris, hurried over to the counter.

"Luna, do you know where to find this address?" Iris asked. Luna looked at the paper, thought for a moment, and then nodded with a smile.

"Yep! I do," she answered cheerfully, looking up with a smiling face at Qrow, "Just take a bus downtown 9 miles, head down Frostbite street, and then you're practically there!"

"Thanks," Qrow said, taking the address back and slipping it into his pocket. Luna and Iris both nodded, and then Luna left, exiting back through the staff entrance. Iris turned back to Qrow, her brow raised.

"Anything else I can get you?"

"Nope. We're good."

He turned to the group, his hands in his pockets, and cleared his throat.

"Alright, kids," he said, "We'll wait a while for the storm to calm down a bit, then we'll find a bus to take us where we need to go. Then we'll find Maria's house and continue what we're here for, got it?"

The group nodded dutifully, Iris raising a brow. "What exactly are you here for?"

"None of your business," Yang snapped back, putting a hand on her hip. Iris rolled her eyes and went back to her computer.

* * *

It was about an hour later when the storm had semi-calmed down and the group left to find a bus. Shortly after, they found one, payed for it out of Qrow's seemingly bountiful supply of money, and were on their way to Maria's, about ten minutes left of bus time before they'd be just about there.

Ruby was sitting in the back of the surprisingly crowded bus, the previous weather seeming to have delayed others as well. It was the least crowded space of the bus, but still had a few people. She just wanted a little time to herself; to think and plan their plan.

Her first thought was of Weiss. How was she functioning? Was she dragging out her act well enough? Were things running smoothly for her?

_Well, yeah, _her mental self answered, _I mean, Weiss is great at acting, and she can probably pull off what she needs to. _

Her second thought was of their plan. It seemed to be doing pretty well at the moment. The whole Vorst matter had seemed dropped, so that wasn't to be worried about. They were on their way to Maria's right now, and that was the easiest part. From there, they'd check on the Relic, get the next one, rest up, and then decide things from there about the other Relics.

_Maria probably has the Relic safe and sound at her house. Oscar will obviously know where the Atlas Relic is, and to get it we just need..._

Her thoughts froze as a realization hit her. They needed the Winter Maiden to get into the Vault. Ozpin had said so himself, so how were they going to get it? Could Oscar somehow use the powers that Ozpin's earliest reincarnations had? Or was that all gone, now that he had distributed those powers to the Maidens?

_Oh my gosh! Why hadn't we thought of that?! Why hadn't _I _thought of that?! Oh, we're doomed! We are _so _doomed! _

Her heart beginning to race in her chest, she took in a deep, shaky breath, trying to steady it. She was still shivering a little, and she felt too tired to get up and tell the others right now. She decided to wait until they got to Maria's. Hopefully no one would be mad at her for "not saying something earlier'".

She tried to drift her thoughts to something else. What would she and Oscar do after their baby was born? Would they set up a simple life and leave all of their huntsman and huntress dreams and responsibilities behind? Would they continue to fight as huntsmen and huntresses and somehow raise their child at the same time?

_No, you can't do that...can you? I mean, Mom did that. She had me and kept being a huntress just fine. Oh, but me and Oscar are so young, and we'd need to give our full attention to our baby. I don't want our baby to feel alone and unloved...I want me and Oscar to be the best mommy and daddy ever!_

Looking sadly down at her mildly rounded stomach, she sighed and lightly put her hand on it, knowing that there were too many people around covering her up from the view of the others. And those people weren't even looking at her, so no one knew or had to know.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," she murmured hopelessly to herself, closing her eyes and slightly bowing her head in sadness.

Suddenly, a light, fluttery feeling in her belly made her eyes pop open and her gaze to snap to her bump. The fluttering sensation repeated, Ruby's eyes wide with shock and surprise, and then ceased.

Had that been her baby? Had her baby _moved_?! Maybe it was something else, but she had never felt this before, and it excited her. Was her baby big enough to do that already? Curiously, Ruby pulled our her scroll, her shivering ceasing immediately, and quickly looked up the symptoms of the first trimester.

Scanning though the pages that she had looked over so many times before, she finally found a section on baby movement, eagerly pressing the link to it as the page pulled up. Skipping a long, seeming unimportant intro paragraph, she quickly began reading it.

"Some people have felt the first feelings of baby movement as early as 13 weeks," Ruby murmured to herself as she read it, "Others commonly are felt on week 14 or 16, sometimes 18. With twins, the movement can be felt earlier or more frequently."

Swallowing hard, Ruby tried to count how many weeks she was through. Emerald and Mercury had captured them...about four months ago, but they had been stuck their about 2 weeks, and they had been rescued by Uncle Qrow after things had been their worst...

"About 12 and a three-fourths weeks," she murmured to herself, "And that report thingy had said 13 weeks...and with twins the moving can be earlier and maybe more-" She paused, her eyes widening. Did this mean she was having _twins_?! No, she couldn't be. Not now. That would be horrible. Plus, the chances of twins were rarer than that of having a single baby...

Shaking her head, she through that thought away, knowing how silly it was to think like that. If she had twins, then wouldn't her belly be bigger? So far, her's seemed to match the pictures of others' at her stage without twins. So, no, there was no way she was having twins. Two meant twice as large, right?

_Back to the plan..._

But her mind wouldn't go back to the plan, but instead stuck to the thoughts and subjects of her baby. When it would be born, if it was a boy or a girl, names her and Oscar might want to think about...

Meanwhile, Jaune and Oscar sat next to each other, Oscar occupied on his scroll and Jaune just staring at the small spaces of the floor uncovered from any feet. Despite his nap in the train, Oscar still felt somewhat exhausted, and he was still mildly sore in a few places from Ozpin's training a while ago.

Jaune just couldn't stop wondering if Oscar and Ruby were "together." It had been stuck stubbornly in his head ever since the blizzard had started up, for some reason, and wouldn't leave. It just continued to nag at him constantly. Staring at Oscar, he slowly felt more and more obliged to ask him, to get some info about it.

But he swallowed the urge and continued letting it build, becoming less and less of a stupid idea and more and more of a good idea. He didn't want to intrude if Ruby and Oscar _were _together, but he also didn't want to make Ruby think that he _wasn't _interested in her, because he hadn't been doing much to show his love for her.

After a few more moments of pure torture, Jaune finally looked up at Oscar, who's hazel eyes, still large despite his aging, were focused on his scroll screen. Taking a deep breath and mustering up his courage, he cleared his throat.

"Oscar?" he asked.

"Hm?" the farm boy turned his head and made eye contact with Jaune, lowering his scroll into his lap.

"I-uh, I wanted to ask you..," Jaune stammered, the idea starting to sound bad again, "I mean, that is, if you were okay with me asking..."

Oscar raised a brow, mildly confused. "Um, yeah, sure?"

Jaune swallowed and then gathered up his confidence, knowing he would have to know eventually, if he wanted to take any kind of action. He cleared his throat again, and Oscar felt his heart start to race with fear.

Did Jaune know about the baby?! Were he and Ruby doomed now?!

"Well, me and Ruby...We've been friends for a long time now, almost 2 years," he began, "And we've become very good friends. So it comes to no surprise of me to be concerned about her if something bad happens."

Oscar swallowed nervously, but outwardly nodded, wanting more information. Behind him, Qrow suddenly stood up and walked to the window, looking hard through the glass and just standing there.

"And, um, I pay attention to her a lot because I...I care about her-as a friend," Jaune continued, trying to figure out a simple way to put what he wanted to say, "So when...when I notice something about her...or something, I-I try to take action about it or something."

"Okay," Oscar said, prodding for more, "What are you trying to say?"

Jaune took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. _You can do this._

"I guess I wanted to say that I've seen you around Ruby a lot...like, a _lot_. And I just wanted to know-I mean, I'm curious as to why...well, I was wondering if you might...have a little bit of, um, interest in her?"

Oscar felt his heart pound in his chest. Had him and Ruby been _that _obvious? Were the others seeing the same thing that Jaune was? Of course they did! He had been hugging her and all that kind of stuff for crying out loud! Why _wouldn't _Jaune think that? What was he suppose to tell him? Deny it? Confirm it?

Oscar chuckled nervously and shook his head, Jaune feeling mildly embarrassed.

"Jaune," he said with a light smirk on his face to hid his fear, "I care about Ruby as a friend. I will admit I find her quite pretty, but so are a lot of the other girls in our group."

_What the what are you saying, Oscar?! Is Ozpin simulating me to say this or something?! I just sounded super dumb...Oh my gosh, I'm acting like a drunk or something. Now I'm doomed. Now I'm doomed. Now I'm doomed. Now I''m-_

"But I know how much you like her and I don't want to be someone to get in the way," he continued, inwardly screaming at himself to shut his mouth somehow, "So I just care for her as a friend. Don't worry about it at all."

_Ooooooooh my gosh. I don't even sound like myself. Who am I kidding?! I'm busted. Ruby's busted. Ugh, why does Jaune have to like her so much? Why can't he just be her friend?!_

Jaune just sat there, wondering what had just happened. He didn't know wether or not Oscar had just told him that he could hook up with Ruby now, or if Oscar had just proved that Ozpin was eating his brain and staunching any logic he had. He scratched his head, confused.

"Uhm, okay?" he said, not knowing how to respond. Oscar just shrugged, nervously laughing again.

"So...you don't 'like' Ruby?" Jaune asked him, hoping to at least clarify that. Oscar nodded, once again inwardly facepalming himself afterwards.

"Yep! She's all yours!"

Jaune's eyes widened and he blinked several times, even more confused. Why was Oscar acting this way? Maybe Ozpin _was _messing with his mind while their auras fully combined or something...But at least Ruby was his, right? Maybe?

_Ah, his is so confusing. I don't know if Oscar's telling the truth. But he probably is...I mean, it would make some sense if he didn't "like" like her. Sort of. Maybe. Ugh! Why can't I just accept what he just said and finally ask Ruby out sometime or know how I feel?_

"Well, uh, thanks for your time," Jaune said finally after a few moments of awkward silence. Oscar nodded and quickly turned his scroll back on, staring down hard at it as if something on the screen was strangely fascinating or something.

Jaune sighed, feeling suddenly awkward. Oscar had just replied to him with something important, and yet, he had said it weird. That hadn't helped much. But at least he knew that Ruby probably liked him, or at least was open to the option.

"Um, guys? Where's Uncle Qrow?"

Ruby's cute little voice could be heard clearly, despite the large amount of people in front of her. Jaune and Oscar looked quickly in her direction, seeing her through a few gaps in the crowd of people both standing and sitting.

Looking quickly back to where Qrow was, still standing by the window, they figured she wasn't able to see him from her view. After all, there were a lot of people, and where she was sitting, almost everything but where Jaune and Oscar sat and the main row was full of people in her view.

"He's standing by the win-" Oscar began, but froze when he laid his eyes on Ruby, The way she was sitting, her top was pressed up tightly against her body, and angle and shading of where she sat made her bump somewhat visible.

Eyes wide, he quickly gestured for her to sit straight with her legs in a chair sitting position, waving lightly at his stomach, and then pointing to hers. Jaune looked at him, confused again, and then looked back at Ruby, who quickly sat in the position Oscar had directed.

"He's standing by the window," he finally blurted as soon as Ruby's bump had become less easy to see. Jaune raised a brow, but nodded his affirmative answer to her. He gave her a questioning look, to which Ruby responded by pointing to Oscar and making a coo-coo face. Oscar frowned and pretended to be annoyed.

Jaune felt even more clueless now, as if they knew something that he didn't. He was just about to ask Oscar what was going on when the bus suddenly seemed to slow down, a little too fast.

Everyone lurched forward a little as the bus's brakes went on, and the bus slowed to a stop. A small, low quality speaker nestled in the corner of the bus by the door turned on, the voice of the bus driver audibly mumbling to himself as he turned it on.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," he announced, "Those of you who wish to get off this bus right now, get off! We're in the center of Atlas City Left, in the suburban area. Hurry up and get off whoever is going to so that the next stop won't be late!"

Nora giggled as she stood up, holding Ren's hand, and quickly skipped to the door, pulling him with her. The doors slide open and a few people got off, leaving many people still inside. Nora and Ren exited, followed by Yang, Jaune, and Blake.

Oscar remained, waiting for Ruby, who was squeezing her way past the many people still crowding where she had been sitting. He stood up and smiled another greeting, which she smiled back to him and eagerly left the bus, taking in a deep breath of the fresh winter air.

Then he looked at Qrow, who still stood by the window, peering suspiciously out with squinted eyes. Oscar walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. Qrow turned around, frowning, and grunting.

"What's up," he said, the sentence barely sounding like a question.

"We need to hurry up and get out out of this bus. The driver doesn't seem to really like loitering or something."

Qrow just mumbled something under his breath and turned around, his hands in his pockets and his back bent in its usual way. Oscar followed him, and they left the bus, joining the others who were looking around at the snowy neighborhood. The doors quickly slid closed as soon as they exited, nearly catching the tail of Oscar's hood.

The bus was soon back on its way to its next destination, leaving behind a faint trail of black exhaust from its muffler. The rough sounds of the engine trailed off as its distance decreased from the group and the few other people who had already began walking away.

"Wow," Ruby said as she stared at the quaint houses with the blanket of glittering snow covering them. The now setting sun cast its orange rays onto the snow, leaving a pretty golden shimmer on it, making it look like it was almost glowing. "It's nice here."

"I'll say," Yang agreed, stretching her arms and legs out, "Especially after sitting in the cramped bus for a half hour." She yawned and tossed her hair to the side for the millionth time that day. "I'm hungry."

"Aw, did you _have _to remind me?" Nora wined, pretending to slap at Yang, who playfully dodged it and then added one of her own, "Now I want pancakes!"

Ren sighed and shook his head, covering his face with his hands. Jaune patted him on the back and then walked over to Qrow, who was looking hard at where the bus had stopped and where they had gotten off. He still looked as if he were suspicious of something...

"So...what should we do next?" he asked him, scratching the back of his now fuzzy blond hair. Qrow grunted again, as if disappointed, and then pulled the small piece of paper with the address on it out of his pocket.

"We find Maria's house," he said, holding up the paper. Lowering his hand, he walked to the front of the group. "Let's get going."

* * *

The soft, beautiful piano began playing, filling the hushed auditorium with its graceful tune. Weiss stood in the center of the huge stage, her hands held together and her head slightly bowed with her eyes closed. She could feel her father's eyes on her, knowing he was in his usual booth to her left.

Despite how much she doubted Henry's piano abilities, he was actually doing quite a good job. Rather than her other piano accompanist for This Life is Mine, he actually seemed to put a little more emotion into his playin, even though he was only reading it off the sheet she had printed.

As soon as the piano paused slightly, cueing her to begin, she took a deep breath and began to sing, her voice silky, smooth, and perfect.

"Does the winter have a life? Does the wind have a soul? Does pain take sympathy on the one it controls?" Henry pressed more passionately on the keys and crested the next section pressing the keys hard with beautiful emotion.

"Does the hatred, that someone feels, start itself on its own? Or is it just there, when things just aren't fair, when friction's in the air, and nobody cares?" The piano softened into a sweet and somewhat non-depressing tune.

"Is the mirror, smudged and cracked? Is it reflecting correctly, or is it anger just stacked? Heaped, piled, passioned and styled, to fit the wielder's heart. 'Cause if it is then, the view's torn apart."

The piano picked up again into a lovely passionate tune, adding to the momentum in Weiss's voice.

"But what do I see? A family and a home! It's right in front of me, and the one that's in it's not alone. The warmth, the light, so happy so bright, I know that's it's right, it's flawless in my sight. I've got to be grateful, I've got to smile. The happiness in that house is so good."

The piano softened and the main chorus set it.

"Mirror, mirror, do you see the sweet? Do you see the happiness washing over me? Do you know that, despite how I am, smile at other with that. The home. The family. The love. The prosperity. That yearning, leaving me petrified, that I've been feeling, has now been satisfied. Because I know that without it I've become more thriven. And now I can look back and say: Weiss, my dear, you're finally looking to a brighter day."

A piano transition leading to the next stanza began to play, and Weiss stole a glance at her father's booth. He looked like he normally did, with a satisfied look in his dark blue eyes, and his hands folded with his chin resting on it. To her surprise, Whitley was not there as he usually was.

As Weiss continued singing, she gave another glance towards the opposite booth, wondering if that booth was empty again. It was usually empty or reserved for wealthy guests, which never came, but she caught a glimpse of someone sitting there for once.

Looking more directly at them, her eyes widened when she saw her, almost messing up her words that she was singing.

It was Willow.

Willow never came to see her performances anymore, especially when Jacques was there, but for some reason, she sat there, dressed somewhat nicely in a low-cut deep blue satin dress. Funny, it was kind of a weird thing for any Schnee to wear anything low or immodest, as it was considered "unsophisticated". But that was funny too, because plenty of sophisticated people wore scant dresses.

But another surprising thing was that she wasn't holding anything in her hands. Not a bottle of wine. Not a cup of wine. Not a glass of wine. Not even a shot of wine. She was empty handed, watching Weiss closely. They made eye contact, the emotion in Weiss's voice melting into just words, and she was singing it empty minded.

Willow just looked at her, and Weiss almost forgot what the finale of her song was going to have. Ripping her gaze off of Willow, Weiss realized what Henry was playing, and she cleared her throat very softly and took a very deep breath.

She slowly, gracefully, and perfectly sang a few chords, getting higher and higher, and then, with a little burst of effort, hit a _very _high note. To her relief, she hit it very well, and she felt herself smiling when the piano stopped and the crowd began to clap.

Bowing, due to the length of her dress, she smiling and looked out at her audience, hoping that they would be more generous or whatever and Jacques would get his last bit of help from her, even again. She grinned even more, almost wickedly, feeling smug over this triumphant thought.

_Ha ha, Father. Be glad that I decided to help you one last time before I completely ripped myself from your family tree. Sorry!_

Taking one last look at her father in the booth, she smiled sweetly at him, her mood escalating rapidly for some reason. Bowing again, she walked to backstage, the lights on the stage dimming and one ones backstage turning on. The crew in charge of the lighting and such got to work on putting things away, and Weiss passed them once again, silently.

But before she reached the door, she felt a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. Before she even turned around, she knew who it was.

"What is it, Henry?"

Henry smiled, the light reflecting off of his light brown eyes and making them look amber. He actually look kind of nice at the moment, the shaven spot of hair on the side of his head having grown back. His tuxedo was also complementing, as it was black and didn't clash with his dark blue hair.

"Well," he said, clearing his throat, "First off, I think you did a great job!"

Weiss nodded, too happy to look annoyed with his attempt at flatter. "I think so too. You also did surprisingly well."

"Oh...well, thank you! Uhm...I was thinking, since you're staying in Atlas now..."

"What?"

"Well, I'm officially asking you out, Weiss."

Weiss just stared at him. For some reason, this came as a huge surprise. Yes, he had tried to woo her a few months ago, and yes, he still seemed interested in her, but this was just...well, surprising. Still feeling happy, but knowing that she really didn't want to, she simply replied,

"No thank you. I already have a boyfriend."

And with that, she walked dignified towards the exit to backstage, images of Jaune in her head and a smug smile on her face.

* * *

**Ah, at last, I've finished this chapter. Can't wait to write more! To answer a Guest's question, yes, Crescent Rose has a spear-like mode. It's in the Red Trailer and in her Volume 4 Short, when she kills the Beringle. Also, if it said it was updated even though there wasn't a new chapter, that was a mistake. It's fixed, so don't worry.**

**Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more chapters!**


	14. Spoiled Milk

"This is it."

The group stood in the quiet, snowy neighborhood in Atlas City Left, a large, well built, and mildly grand house standing before them.

It seemed to be built firmly out of rich mahogany, the window frames and the doors also built with it. The porch was concrete, swept and adorned with a thick, bright red rug. A few flowerbeds by the sill of each window contained some dead flowers, killed by the frost, and some hard dirt.

The house was three floors, windows visible on all three, and curtains could be seen hanging from the inside. The glass covering the windows was shiny and clean, and several bushes surrounded the house. A short walkway led to the front porch where a wooden rocking char sat with a red cushion.

"That's...grander than I expected," Ruby murmured, pondering the house's appearance.

"Wowza!" Nora praised, her hands to her cheeks.

"It does seem to stick out in this neighborhood, for the record," said Blake.

Jaune, Ren, and Oscar just shrugged.

"And here I thought she was some cooky old lady with the underside of a bridge to live in," Yang added, receiving an elbow from her sister. "Ow!"

"Well, whatever it is, we're here," Qrow said, glancing down at the address again and then back up to the number nailed to the house, right above its mailbox, "Let's go."

The group slowly approached the house, walked up the steps, and then stood in front of the door, Qrow holding up his hand to knock. Ruby was feeling a little eager to see that woman, missing the sound of her voice and her somewhat care-free and yet responsible voice. Maybe she could talk more about silver eyes or something.

Then Qrow knocked, loudly and firmly, lowering his hand when he had finished. A long moment of silence passed, everybody wondering weather or not she was home. She probably didn't even know they were coming...But then again, Qrow might've messaged her or something, giving her a heads up so that she wouldn't scold him like a grandma or something.

"Maybe she can't hear us," Yang suggested after about a minute had passed, "After all, if her eyes were going bad, maybe her hearing is, too."

Ruby frowned and roughly elbowed her sister again, this time a little harder. Yang just giggled and rubbed the spot on her arm that Ruby had. Ruby groaned and lightly pushed her, to which Yang responded by whipping all her thick golden hair into her face.

"Yaaaaaang!" Ruby wined, pawing at the hair, "Stop being such a butt!"

"Guys, please stop being so immature..," Blake began, willing them to stop with all their childish behavior. But just then, the door cracked open and through the glass screen door, they all finally saw her.

She smiled widely and opened the screen door, moving her cape out of the way of her arms so that she could open the door more to let them in. Her large mechanic blue eyes looked as good as ever and appeared to have been fixed. Her gray hair was in its usual tight bun, and she looked the exact same as when they had first met her, cane and all.

"Maria!" Ruby said happily, walking over to her and wrapping her arms around her in a hug. Maria, a bit surprised but pleasantly, returned the hug in a sweet, grandmotherly way. Oscar was next, despite the fact that he really looked more like a fully grown man than the small 14 year old boy he had been before. Maria was pretty much all smiles by the time she was no longer bombarded with hugs.

"Now, now," she lightly chided, "You're making me feel old. Get inside and out of this cold weather!"

She lead them all in, slamming the door surprisingly hard, letting the _glass _screen door shut roughly behind it. Then she waddled to the kitchen, quickly setting a rather large metal kettle on the burner of her black polished stove. Then she crossed back over to them, clasping her hands together sweetly.

"I know that you're all experienced and all 'hero-type', but I honestly wondered if you would all actually make it here," she said, the usual tone in her voice automatically making Ruby smile, "The weather's been dreadfully cold, and I didn't think you'd honestly trust me with such a powerful little Relic."

She pointed her finger at Qrow. "And _you_, I'm glad you got them safely here."

Qrow smirked and shook his head. "Eh, it's my job."

Maria clicked her tongue and shook her head at him. "Tsk, tsk, Qrow," she said with playful accusation, "I know huntsmen like to be all modest and play Good Samaritan now and then, but I think you need to stop and be a human being for once. Continuous hard work like this simply cannot go without praise."

Qrow shook his head again, rolling his eyes with a smirk. "Whatever."

"Now, I've got some pastries in the oven and some milk, if it's still good," she said, walking back to the oven and using her cane to pull it open. She poked her cane in the oven and prodded one of the many gooey backed pastries that were on three large pans.

Blake and Ruby exchanged a glanced at the end of Maria's sentence. "If it's still good?"

"Well, yes! What, do you think I check my milk every time I drink it to see if it spoiled?" she asked in a scolding tone, "I can find out plenty well when my milk is rotten. The taste is undeniably recognizable. You'd have to have no taste buds to not know if you milk was bad when you drank it."

Ruby giggled and stepped forward. "I can help get things out."

"Thank you," Maria said, smiling up at her before turning to the rest of the group, "We can all talk about things while we eat."

The group nodded in agreement, smiling. Oscar felt very happy to see Maria again. After she had read him those journals at Brunswick Farm and had stayed with him for that while when nobody trusted him because of Ozpin, he had really bonded some with her. She was quite a likable person once you got to spend some time with her.

But although he was happy to see her again, he also felt guilty. She seemed to know everything about a person she knew, and he felt like if he was alone with her or something, she would be able to find out in an instant what he and Ruby were dealing with right now. She was a wise woman, with experience and a long life behind her. So he felt a little hesitant about talking with her.

On top of that, he also felt a little worried about Ruby talking with her. She trusted and loved Maria a lot, and maybe, just _maybe_, Ruby would brave up and have Maria promise not to say anything about her being pregnant. It somewhat seemed like something she would do, especially to Maria, passably seeking wisdom and guidance.

"Now hurry up and sit yourselves down before your toes fall off!" Maria exclaimed, gesturing towards the table that stood a few feet away behind the large countertop she was standing by. The table was covered by a nice lacy tablecloth with a glass vase of winter lilies in the center. A fireplace stood in the living room behind them, crackling with cozy, warm fire.

The group all quickly walked to the table. There were only five chairs, but plenty of room around it. Nora, Ruby, Blake, and Ren all sat down, Oscar, Jaune, Yang, and Qrow making themselves comfortable by leaning up against the wall, sitting on the floor, and just standing by the table. They left one seat for Maria, knowing that the old woman would probably need to sit her short legs down.

Ruby walked over, setting a pan of the pastries, warm and sweet looking, oozing with jelly, drizzled in white icing, and surrounded in bubbling syrup. A glass pitcher of milk was placed beside it, along with several cups and some small plates.

"You'll most certainly need these," Maria said, tossing Ruby a large, messy wad of paper napkins, "You people can be quite messy."

"Hey, it's a huntsman habit," Yang said, standing up straight and walking towards the table, "We get hungry after all those fights!" She snatched a pastry off of the tray and took a big bite out of it, closing her eyes and smiling as the warmth and perfect sweetness filled her mouth, along with the gooey jelly and the icing.

"Here, Yang," Ruby said, handing her sister a napkin, "You're gonna need-"

She paused as she heard Nora's disturbingly loud noised behind her. Looking behind her, she saw Nora scarfing down several pastries at a time, coating the lower part of her face with frosting, jelly, and sticky crumbs as she shoved one after one into her mouth.

She froze when she noticed Ruby and the others watching her, Ren shaking his head and looking down with a sigh. She stood upright and began wiping her hands quickly on the sides of her skirt, ignoring the fact that all the mess was now getting on her clothes.

"Well, it isn't my fault we didn't stop to eat!" she stubbornly defended, "I second what Yang said!" She crossed her arms and accepted Yang's quickly high five with a smirk.

"Nora, please..," Ren sighed, head still hung, "Use your manners."

"Who made you my dad?" Nora said, zipping over to him and pointing at him, poking him in the chest, "And I don't even have one!"

Ren just looked up at her with that _look_. The one that he always gave her when he was serious about what he said.

"Okay, _fine_," she said, waving her hands at him, "I'll be less messy."

She skipped back to the table and continued eating the pastries, only this time, with a plate and fork like everyone else. Ruby poured herself a glass of milk, hoping that it wasn't sour or anything. She took a sip and felt relieved when it tasted the same as any good milk she had tasted. They had come to Maria's at a good time.

"So what's the status on your guys' gig?" Maria asked, taking her reserved seat and setting her cane down against the table, "It must be doing alright if you're all here right now without a bunch of Atlas hooligans eating with us right now."

Ruby giggled and took another sip of milk.

"It's doing great," she said, "We got here without any terrible complications; we weren't found out by anyone, really. Um...and now we're here!"

Maria nodded, looking down at her empty plate that hadn't been served yet.

"All thanks to Ruby's master plan," Yang said, giving her sister a proud wink.

"Is that so?" Maria asked, looking up at her. Ruby blushed and scratched the back of her head.

"Oh, it was nothing, really," she said, her cheeks warm, "All I did was...um, think."

"And she figured it all out by herself," Jaune added, making Ruby's cheeks even warmer, "And by the way things are going right now, I think it'll be a big success. All we need to do next is get the Atlas Relic, and then leave with the Haven Relic."

Maria smiled and nodded at Ruby. "How have you managed to grow up so much on your own?" she asked.

Ruby blushed again and held up her cup. "Heh, what can I say? I drink milk."

The group chuckled and enjoyed some more of the pastries and milk, little speech in between their eating. Then Qrow swallowed a mouthful of pastry and cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.

"Speaking of which, do you still have the Relic?" he asked.

Ruby cocked her head to the side, confused. "What does me drinking milk have anything to do with that?"

Qrow smirked and shook his head. "No, not that. What Jaune said earlier."

"Ah," Maria said, wiping her mouth with her sleeve despite the napkins set out for that very purpose, "Of course I have it! What, you think I'd accidentally throw it in the wash?"

Ruby giggled. Oscar smirked.

"No, of course not," he said, "We just wanted to ask just in case."

"In case of what?" Maria asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"In case of...well, in case of if you were to loose it-"

Maria grabbed her cane and whacked him on the head with it.

"Ow!" Oscar said, rubbing the sport where she had hit him.

"I _just _told you that I still have it," she scolded him, making the others start to snicker and laugh, "I thought you were a smart boy and you wouldn't need to answer twice to me about something I've already made clear. I'm not that old, Oscar; I still have a brain."

The group was all laughter behind them now, and Oscar couldn't exactly understand why. "I-I'm sorry!" he said, not wishing to be hit in the head with her firm wooden cane that used to be the Grimm Reaper's scythes.

Maria smiled her smile and then turned back to her plate as if nothing had ever happened, then took a pastry and set it on her plate. The group settled down, but still giggled a little, especially Ruby. Oscar looked at them with question.

"What's so funny?" he asked, his hand still on his head. Blake smiled and shook her head.

"She was just being Maria," she answered, her cat ears twitching a little, "Did you really think she was serious?"

"Well," Oscar began, "No..."

"Haha," Yang laughed, "Nice one, Oscar. Confusion and apologizing really shows your disbelief!"

The group laughed again and Oscar rolled his eyes. "Nice," he said with sarcasm.

"Okay, okay, back to our mission," Qrow said, holding out his hands for silence, "I don't wanna Burts everyone's bubbles, but we can't forget what we're here for. Weiss can't stay at her palace forever before she might get involved with something that could effect our plan, so we need to try to finish this thing as soon as possible, and _then _relax more."

Maria nodded. "You can all have some nice leisure time here afterwards."

"Thanks, Maria," Ruby said gratefully, the others adding agreements of gratitude. Maria acknowledged their thanks with a simple nod.

"So, Oscar," Jaune said, turned to him, "Where's the Atlas Relic at?"

Oscar thought for a moment, his memories of Ozpin returning as he thought about them. He tried to think back to the time when he had hidden them, thinking hard about the time where he had spent hours upon hours of a safe place to store and hide them, safe from any evil power that wanted to take them...

"Well," he began, "It's obviously in Atlas Academy. I-_Oz_-put it up in the very top of the large tower that stands on it. The vault is there, inside the tip of the tower, and it's protected by a warrior that changes out every time one of them is unable or no longer willing to protect the vault at all costs."

"Wait, what?" Nora interrupted, "It has a _guardian_?"

"Yeah," Jaune said, equally confused and disturbed, "How come Haven didn't have one? Or did it, Yang?"

"Nope," Yang said, "Not one there."

"I think it was because," Oscar continued, trying to remember, "of how skilled the students here are. Yes, the teachers and rules here are strict and without exceptions, but the numerous individuals that possess the skill and slyness of a true Atlesian huntsman or huntress trained by Ironwood as well as several others in this large kingdom are at risk of discovering the vault and maybe even getting into it."

"But I thought only a Maiden could get into it," Jaune said, taking a step forward. Ruby looked down, hearing the Ozpin in Oscar's words again.

"Yes, but with some cunning planning and even manipulation, the vaults can be opened and entered by something or someone else."

"WHAT?!" Jaune shouted, his hands in fists, "Then why did you say that _only _Maidens could get in?"

Ruby winced. This was starting to remind her of a mix that times when Jaune had slammed him up against the wall at his sister's house, and when Jinn had revealed everything about him and Salem's past. She hadn't liked that one bit. And now she had mixed feelings about how they were going to get into the vault.

"Effortlessly and without complication!" Oscar continued, his voice raised, "Only a Maiden can open it without any physical or mental consequences; all and any other ways can and will result in a serious drawback."

"Um, about that..," Ruby said quietly, lightly holding up a hand. But Jaune cut her off, not seeming to notice or see her.

"Wait, so anyone else smart enough or strong enough could have just stolen one of the Relics from any of the schools?" he shouted, looking both angry and confused, "We could have come here for nothing?"

"Mr. Arc!" Oscar yelled, making Jaune cease his shouting and stand there, eyes wide at Oscar's sudden exertion, "I you could simply abstain from your shallow minded reasoning for one moment and actually listen to mine, then I'm sure you would receive your answer!"

Ruby swallowed, looking down. Now Oscar was full out Ozpin at the moment, and she hated it. She just wished Oscar could be himself and not have Ozpin's personality and, well, _everything _be constantly seeping into him and his actions. He had just called Jaune Mr. Arc for crying out loud! The closer he was to becoming Ozma, she shorter she knew her love for him would last. She didn't love Ozma; she loved Oscar.

When nobody said anything, even Maria, Oscar cleared his throat and continued, not even realizing how distant his real self had become.

"Maidens are the only ones capable of entering any of their assigned vaults without effort or negative effect, as the gates to them were built and designed for that purpose and no other. However, as these gates were created by man, man can also destroy or manipulate them. But because of how firmly held they are to their natural keys, any other attempts to open them will either fail, or end up in some form of negative drawback."

"Like breaking out in horrible boils or something?" Yang asked.

"No, I'm afraid it isn't as simple or magical as that," Oscar said, "For example, if an individual were to try and simply smash in open, they would fail, and as a result of trying to use their brute strength in hitting as hard and firm as anything would ever be in this world, they would most likely harm themselves in whatever part of their body that they were using to try and break it open."

"Oh, so like getting the consequences of doing something stupid?" Yang asked.

Oscar nodded his head in an Ozpin-type formality.

"Yes. And otherwise, if anyone were to attempt using some form of magic or anything of the matter, it would collide with the magic of the vault, meant only for the power of the Maidens, and would lead to some kind of injury or possibly even the loss of the magic in use."

"Basically, trying to break in is a foolish idea," Blake said.

"Yep. I'm pretty sure he made that plenty clear," Nora answered, rolling her eyes, "All this serious talk is making me jumpy!"

"Nobody can easily get in," Jaune said, "But they still could, without the Maidens. So you put a guardian there to protect it with their life, in case anyone ever attempted."

"Um, yeah, so-" Ruby said a bit louder, the guilt and pressure of her knowledge weighing down on her and making her heart race in her chest. But again, Jaune cut her off, still apparently not noticing her.

"And we'll have to get past that guardian if we ever want to get that Relic..," he continued, "So just how good is that guardian?"

Oscar had no need to think back to Ozpin's reasoning. He was already there.

"The first one I deployed was the best of Atlas Academy; skilled and loyal. He could've defeated any individual I had ever encountered for several of my lives, and I was comfortable and proud to grant him that occupation. But it has been many years since then, and I made certain that the committee in charge of assigning and appointing new guardians would know better who to choose; the qualities to be in search for."

"So then the guardian of right now is probably amazing, too?" Jaune asked, his face and voice grave.

Oscar nodded. "If the committee hasn't been corrupted or lax, then yes, they should be."

"Guys?" Ruby interrupted, standing up from her seat, this time gaining everyone's attention as she was practically yelling with panic, "I-I um, well...How are we even going to get inside the vault when we get there? We don't have the Winter Maiden! And Oscar just said it himself that any other tries to get in are a bad idea!"

The room fell silent as everyone stared at Ruby, their eyes fixed on her, even Maria's. Ruby swallowed, waiting for someone to say something, anything.

_Here comes the hate speech and __criticism!_

"You _jus_t realized that?" Jaune finally said, a brow raised. Ruby swallowed again, feeling embarrassed and a shaky.

"Uhm, yeah?" she said quietly. Jaune smirked and shook his head.

"W-what's so funny?" Ruby asked, still nervous. Jaune just sighed and looked back to Ruby.

"We've known that since you made the plan," he said, surprising her, "Did you think we'd just forget everything Ozpin and Qrow told us about the vaults, even though it's crucial to this entire plan?"

Ruby shifted uncomfortably in her spot, feeling more and more nervous and yet relieved. If they had known that, then they must've had a plan as to how they would get into the vault. Ozpin would've objected if they hadn't. That brought the relief. But then she also felt uncomfortable, like they might question her knowledge of how her whole plan would go, because she had just realized that they couldn't get the Relic without a the Winter Maiden.

"Well, no..," she said, still quiet with embarrassment and relief. Suddenly, Maria burst out laughing, her head tilting back as she did so. The others smiled, the tension starting to fade a little, and Jaune looking a bit more relaxed.

"Ruby Rose," Maria laughed, "You may be growing up and taking your position as leader seriously, but you can be one shallow-minded child sometimes!"

"I bet Weiss would agree strongly with that," Nora said, giggling.

"Students!" Oscar said angrily, full out Ozpin, "We mustn't avoid the subject of our mission! We need to focus and-"

Ruby frowned and shook her head, about to say something, but suddenly feeling very tired. It was a suddenness that she didn't like, making her head feel heavy and her eyes want to close. Her face felt warm all of the sudden, and the urge to sit down became very strong.

Swallowing, she squeezed her eyes shut, wincing at the uncomfortable feeling and sat down, shutting her mouth and putting her hands in her lap. She heard Oscar gasp-probably deathly afraid that something was up with the baby-and Jaune make some sort of surprised noise.

"Ruby, are you okay?" he asked, taking a step towards her. Yang grabbed his her sister's arm and grasped it tightly, concern clear on her face.

"Sis?!" she said, "You okay?"

Oscar completely shattered out of his Ozpin side, fear and horror rushing through him like a tidal wave. He jogged to Ruby's side and accidentally put his hands on her shoulders, forgetting everyone around him and what else was happening.

"Ruby?! Ruby, is everything alright?!" he asked, panicked.

Ruby's hands trembled a little as she waited for the abrupt, sharp pain in her head to dull and subside, and then opened her eyes to see everyone looking at her with concern. Qrow, Yang, Jaune, and Oscar all looked like their lives were about to end. Blake, Nora, Ren, and Maria all looked worried.

"Guys, guys, I'm alright!" Ruby said, her stomach starting to churn from all of the pastries she ate and something else she didn't know, "I-I just got a little scared from all of the t-tension happening right now. I'm fine, really!"

Her stomach seemed to bubbled furiously as a horrible feeling of sickness seeped in, similar to her previous morning sickness. If she moved an inch she felt like she'd throw up...

"Are you sure?" Yang said, slightly shaking her sister's arm, "Because you don't look fine!"

"Yang, it's okay," Ruby said, the horridness in her stomach building up, "It's probably just-"

The sick feeling suddenly skyrocketed, and Ruby knew what was about to happen. Jerking herself to the right where nobody was directly standing, she vomited as if violently ill, heaving until her throat burned and her stomach ached.

"Ruby!" Qrow shouted in alarm, frightened. If anything was seriously wrong with his last trace of Summer...

It was a horrible moment, feeling everyone's eyes fixed on her; the acidic smell of vomit in a puddle in front of her and on her face; the general physical feeling.

She slowly sat up, the heaviness that had seemed to be weighing her head down while she had been heaving now filtering back down to the rest of her head when she sat up all the way. She snatched a wad of napkins and vigorously rubbed it all over her face, hoping to get rid of any visible traces of the contents of her stomach.

When she had finished, feeling normal to her stomach, but tired in any other way possible, she looked slowly up at the faces of everyone looking at her, eyes wide with shock and horror. Everyone's expressions were the same, except for Qrow's, who's eyebrows added concern to his shock. She swallowed nervously.

"Ruby..," Qrow said, standing up, "Is everything alright-"

"Everything's fine!" Ruby blurted, standing abruptly up with her hands on the table, "I-I just need to-" She gave up, shut her eyes, and rushed away, her hood trailing behind her in a bright red streak and accidentally knocking her cup over.

"Ruby, wait!" Jaune called, following after her with his arm outstretched. Oscar just stood there, eyes wide with sadness and fear. The others in the group all looked back at each other, confused and shocked over what had just suddenly happened.

But Maria just sat there, calm as usual.

"Well," she said, looking over at the puddle of vomit of the floor by Ruby's spot, "I guess the milk wasn't good, after all."

* * *

"Excellent performance, Miss Schnee," a slender, well dressed young man said as he lightly raised his glass at her and tipped his head, walking past her.

"Thank you," Weiss answered, beaming, "It was my pleasure."

The man smiled and acknowledged Jacques with a nod of his head before continuing his way towards a woman wearing a tight red dress and sparkling gold earrings. The afterparty of this concert was very similar to the one that Weiss had lost her temper at and had summoned a full creature for the first time. The number of people were about the same, the setup of the same room, the atmosphere...

But this time, Weiss felt much happier, not fully sure as to why she even felt that way. She knew it was because of how smug she felt about singing her song strait to Jacques' unsuspecting face with a clear, blatant smile wide on her lips and the knowledge that she'd soon be out of this frozen, empty version of hell but with butlers.

But there was just something else that she could't decide what it was, nor did she care to figure it out. It didn't really matter to her, anyway. Perhaps it was because she had seen her mother actually sitting and watching on of her performances at the same time as her father. No, because she had been shocked about...never mind.

Yes, she was happy that her mother had been there. It had helped to trigger her extreme joy. And nothing was going to rip that joy away from her now. All she had to do now was sit back and enjoy the party, doing whatever Jacques told her to do with a willing, happy heart. Boy, would he be confused...maybe. No, her probably wouldn't be.

"Jacques, I will say," a gentleman with a fancy black hat said, giving Weiss a glance, "Your choice of entertainment tonight was extraordinary."

The three other men, presumably businessmen, agreed, nodding their heads and giving Weiss smiles and looks. She smily smiled back with a nod. Jacques seemed pleased, gaining his usual smug grin as he set his hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, it was nothing," he said with fake modesty, "I knew that Weiss was just _itching _to get back onto that stage and put a smile on everybody's faces. So I did my girl a favor, and by the looks of it, you the same."

Weiss didn't really care about her father's reply. She just wanted to talk to someone other than these wealthy businessmen who ranted on about their jobs and how annoying wealth management was, as well as how the Schnee Dust Company was doing and about the subject of the Faunus laborers.

"Well, that certainly was kind of you," the shorter, fatter one said with a chuckle, "She is quite the delicate rarity and such a treat for us. A sight for sore eyes."

"I know," Jacques replied smugly, "Because I know everything."

The five men all laughed together, and Weiss added her own girly giggle-type addition to the laughter. Nobody seemed to notice how fake it sounded as they carried on about how much the auditorium costed to build and how expensive her dress was. Despite Weiss' excellent acting skills, her fake laughs sounded about as terrible as she had looked upon her return to this place.

Glancing over at all of the people enjoying themselves, Weiss looked through them, scanning their faces as if she was expecting to see someone she knew. She pictured Ruby standing by the punch bowl wearing her dance dress, Jaune standing next to her in his tuxedo. Then she pictured Blake, Nora, and Yang all standing together, laughing, wearign their ball dresses.

Then the whole room seemed to dim and the elegant orchestral music of the Beacon began to play, and all of the Beacon students filled the room as the current people faded from view...Jaune appeared beside her, his hand out and smile on his face.

"Weiss, what is your opinion?" Jacques asked, the room returning to normal as she was jerked back to reality. She glanced around to find the four businessmen and her father looking expectantly at her. Weiss swallowed and tried to think of something to say.

"Sorry, I sort of drifted off a little there," she said, brushing a tiny strand of hair our of her face, "What were you saying?"

"Mr. Schnee was just explaining the nonsense of James Ironwood's decision to close off Atlas borders," the tallest businessman said, his mustache twitching, "We were discussing it and sharing our opinions. What is yours?"

Weiss swallowed and rolled her eyes, deciding to throw her real opinion out. Her opinion did make sense and stood with Atlas for the most part. She did trust Ironwood, and his decision made enough sense, considering how horrible the others, who hadn't been at the Fall of Beacon, to accuse Atlas of such a crime. She'd just keep that part out and say the strong half of it.

"I think it's inefficient and a waist of time and money," she said with a stubbornness that imitated her father's, "While we could be shipping out pounds and pounds of dust and getting plenty of lien in the process, Ironwood is closing out borders and preventing us from doing so, all because of some false accusations made from inexperienced people who aren't even at the Fall of Beacon to judge."

Jacques and the others nodded in agreement.

"Smart daughter, you've raised," the middle businessman said, who hadn't talked much yet, "Knows what she's talking about."

Jacques smiled proudly and put his white gloved hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Beige. I take pride in her."

Weiss inwardly rolled her eyes, but outwardly smiled, giving her father a sweet look.

Glancing around the large room, it suddenly looked more dull that before, due to Weiss' imagination of the Beacon ballroom. Now it was just a bunch of spoiled rich people wearing fancy clothes and eating. Nothing more, nothing less. Sighing, she scanned through the faces once again, wondering if maybe she knew anyone in the crowd...

Weiss froze when she caught site of a woman standing by a table in the far corner of the room, a thin glass of wine in her hand. She was staring at Weiss with her sky blue eyes, almost in a scolding manner. It was Willow. Willow was at her concert's afterparty. In the same room as Jacques.

Clearing her throat, Weiss looked up at her father, who was rapping up his conversation with a humorous joke about Ironwood, and put on her sweet, happy face again, hoping that Jacques would let this attempt slide...

"Father," Weiss asked politely, still smiling happily, "May I please go and talk to...someone over there? I haven't talked to them in a while...it'd be nice to catch up."

Jacques raised a brow, seeming to be mulling over the events of the last afterparty they had hosted with Weiss. His mustache twitched as he thought for a moment, listening with half an ear as one of the businessmen was giving the others a final farewell before he left for home then evening.

"Alright," he said, waving his hand up for an Atlesian guard to come, "But you will be escorted because of last time's...incident." He narrowed his eyes as he said that last word, making Weiss feel uncomfortable. But she smiled and nodded.

"Of course, Father!" she said thankfully, "Thank you very much."

An Atlas guard approached, holding his gun uniformly with both hands. Jacques gestured with his head toward Weiss.

"Escort Miss Schnee where she wants, as long as it's within the party's perimeters," Jacques ordered him, "Make sure she doesn't cause any disruptions."

The guard nodded it's affirmative answer before taking his place beside Weiss. Weiss felt betrayed that her father didn't trust her, but then again, after last time's happenings...Yeah, there was no way he would magically buy anything she told him, exactly.

Weiss nodded at the guard and made her way towards her mother, who was now lightly swirling her glass of wine in her hand. When she had reached her, the guard stood stick straight beside her and waited in standby.

"What do you want," Willow asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"Mother..," Weiss began, glancing at Jacques, who was now consumed in a lively conversation with a gorgeous woman in a skintight, red dress and waring golden earrings, "Why um...why exactly are you here?"

Willow gave a grunt of mock humor as she continued to swirl her glass before answering her daughter.

"Why exactly are _you _here," she asked, some sort of form of a smile on her face, "It doesn't make much sense to me."

Weiss hesitated before feeling slightly angry. Why didn't her mother just tell her why she was suddenly doing all of this? Sure, it had only been one single day since she had arrived, but this was abrupt. Suddenly attending her concert and then the afterparty, questioning her and seeing through her plan somehow.

"Well, you're not making much sense, either," Weiss said stubbornly, crossing her arms, "It's a little hard to make sense of something so vague."

Willow rolled her eyes and downed the rest of her wine, setting the glass lightly on the platter of a waiter walking past. She licked the last remnants of her drink off her lips while staring at Weiss, looking about ready to answer.

"Look around you," she said, gesturing at the room of people, "What do you see?"

Weiss glanced around, her ponytail flicking as she did. "A bunch of rich people eating and talking."

"And what do you think they're talking about?"

"The same things they talk about anywhere and anytime else. Money; wealthy management; their jobs; family matters."

"What do you think they consider themselves as?"

"Wealthy, hard woking people who have never sinned a day in their lives and deserve nothing by the best."

Willow chuckled, a tired, almost drunk chuckle, but still remaining sober at the same time. "What do you consider yourself as?"

Weiss blinked and looked up at her mother. "I'm sorry, what?"

"What do you consider _yourself _as?" Willow repeated, still looking around at the guests that filled the room. Weiss stood there a moment, debating whether she should give Willow her true feelings about herself, or the ones she partially believed and that the others believed. Well, seeing how Willow was right now, why not give her the truth?

"I consider myself a victim," she began, standing up a little straighter and holding her hands tighter, "A victim of a selfish, wealthy, spoiled man who cares nothing about anybody but himself. Who was and still has been throwing me here and there, wherever he _wants _me, to push him a little further towards his goal, even if he ends up pulling me under to exalt himself. I'm just a tool, not a person; not his daughter. And I hate it."

Willow stood there, staring sternly at the guests, then at Jacques, then down at her feet. The constant tired look in her eyes that always lingered since she had begun her drinking habits seemed amplified by her sternness.

"I consider myself as spoiled milk," she said abruptly in a low, cold tone. Weiss blinked again, surprised and confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Willow sighed, looking back at Weiss and loosing the stern face, "I once was fresh, sweet, and 'creamy' if you will, perfect, chilled, and ready for consumption. Then your father came along, drank me a third up, and left me out right after, letting me rot and fester."

Weiss blinked even more as she stared at her mother. This was unexpected.

"And now, with what Jacques wanted to use me for now used, and with anything else left for me to offer, ruined, I'm just a two-thirds full bottle of spoiled milk."

She smirked exasperatedly and shook her head.

"I'd kill myself if Jacques didn't have me on a leash."

"Wait, what?!" Weiss almost shouted, earning no reaction from her mother at all, "You'd commit suicide?!"

But Willow just cleared her throat, wiped her mouth with a napkin on a nearby table, and began walking towards one of the exits to the room. Weiss was about to follow her when she called back, right before disappearing amongst the groups of guests,

"Lovely performance, honey."

Weiss stood there, the Atlesian guard standing beside her, with her eyes wide in confusion. Shocked about the obvious. Turning around, she saw Jacques kissing the woman he had been talking to's hand, resulting in a flirty blush from her. The familiarity of the woman suddenly had a thought click through Weiss' head.

_Wait, that's the same woman who's with that one man who complemented me earlier!_

* * *

**Oh, looks like Jacques a cheater, too. Not so big of a surprise. Funny, I actually really don't like Maria. I just have to write her like she is in the show. :P**

**I apologize for the late update; I lost track of how long I was taking to write this and got a little lax. Thank you all for your patience and support!**

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters!**


	15. Unmendable

A strange, dull light in the center of the world of darkness surrounding her pulsed in some sort of pattern. It slowly began to intensify, then began to radiate some kind of empty heat as the light got brighter and the pulse became some sort of mildly audible beat. Then the light split off into several little orbs that drifted to the side, making some sort of frame.

_Oh no..._

Strange, distorted voices began to faintly play, barely audible, but slowly becoming louder and seemingly closer.

_No, not this dream again! I can't have it again. I can't be seeing this anymore. No no no no no no no!_

"Jaune," Pyrrha's static-like voice said, glitching before and after the name was said, "Jaune."

She tried furiously to jerk herself from the darkness she was immersed in, to escape its haunting existence and the nightmares it housed, but she could move. No matter how hard she tried, or even when she tired to use her semblance to escape, it was as if she was a car stuck in mud, the wheels spinning and sliding in vain.

"How could you let me die?!" Pyrrha's voice shot out accusingly, the faded image of her friend hardly visible in the strange darkness, "Why didn't you save me?"

Pyrrha's face drifted straight in front of her's, skin pale as a ghost, eyes red as a Grimm's, strange, blackish-reddish veins going fro her eyes all the way to her chin. She looked like a mix of angry, accusing, sorrowful, and dead, yet, she was breathing. Or was she?

Cinder's glass arrow was stuck in her Pyrrha's chest, the wound where it was embedded much larger than in reality. It was gaping and halfway crusted shut, while the uncrusted part had a mixture of blood and puss slowly oozing out. Her chest did not move up and down as it should, indicating that Pyrrha _wasn't _breathing.

_Oh, gosh no! This is worse than last time! Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it..._

Pyrrha slowly reached down to the arrow stuck in her, grasping it tightly with her hands with a demonic, vacant look on her face. Then, with an agonizing scream, she began slowly pushing it deeper inside herself, the wound slowly expanding and seeming to fill up with...something.

_No! No, stop! Pyrrha, stop it! Don't to this again!_

She continued to push it in, screaming bloody murder until nothing but the fletching of the arrow showed, sticking out of the now massively swollen wound, filled with blood and puss and something else revolting. The arrowhead was sticking out of her back, bright red blood spilling out of it.

Then her hands began to twist and crack in odd shapes and ways, her neck and head following the movement. She pulled out her spear, held it out in front of her so that the head of it was in line with the fletching of the arrow, and then, with another blood-curdling scream, she shot it into the remaining part of the arrow, fully embedding it into her and shattering the glass it was made of.

_NO!_

The huge, swollen, puffy wound popped as soon as the arrow had finished shattering.

The contents of the wound exploded over everything, a disgusting smell accompanying it. The smell saturated the air, the darkness, everything, until there was no way to escape it. She tried to thrash and jerk herself out of this horrid darkness, but the revolting smell, the haunting atmosphere...it all held her down and kept her stuck there.

She felt a soft, airy touch on her shoulder, as if a whisper had touched her, and a prickling sensation when up her neck as the familiar, and yet unfiamiliar feeling caused her heart to race in panic and fear again. She knew who it was-what it was.

_No..._

Pyrrha's ghostly voice whispered eerily in her ear,

"Jaune will never forgive you."

_Stop it! Leave me alone! Get away from me!_

Before she could turn around and try to strike the face she could feel behind her, Pyrrha suddenly appeared in front of her, glitching here and there as if the connection of her soul had been tampered with or something and was now somewhat disfunctioning.

Her wound was gone now, the arrow still there somehow, sticking all the way behind and through her. A strange, sickly smile curled on her lips, but it almost looked sorrowful and angry. She looked like a haunted ghoul, who had been killed over and over again and had remembered every time she had died.

A horrible sick feeling in Ruby's stomach caused her to bend over, clutching it and groaning. Pyrrha knelt down beside her and reached her now long, bony hand towards Ruby's belly, her fingers seeming to grow longer, sharper, and skinnier as they progressed forwards.

But instead of just touching her stomach, they kept going, _into _her stomach, with a sharp, stabbing pain. Literally.

Ruby gasped and bent forward, clutching her belly harder, but Pyrrha's long, knife-like fingers reached inside of her, taking hold of something. Ruby could feel the fingers closing around what was in her stomach, and begin pulling it out, slowly and painfully.

Ruby cried out as Pyrrha ripped the thing out, holding it tightly in her fingers, and as soon as she caught sight of what she was holding, she froze, eyes wide with horror.

Pyrrha was holding her and Oscar's baby. Tiny and half-formed, red and unliving, curled up in Pyrrha's white, ghostly hands with her fingers closed over it like a cage of bones.

It was a little girl.

_No! Put her back or something, I don't care! Give her back! She's mine! She's Oscar's, you can't take her away! Please, I tired to save you at Beacon, but Cinder got you! Why are you doing this to me?!_

Ruby began sobbing uncontrollably on her knees, her stomach seeming to bubble with some sort of hot, syrupy liquid. Pyrrha looked at her, twisting her head around and around like an owl, until it made odd stretching sounds.

Ruby looked slowly up, knowing what was coming. Knowing what was about to happen. It always happened at the end of every nightmare that terrorized her about Pyrrha and her death. Shutting her eyes, she waited.

Then, after a long, eerie pause of silence and waiting, she cautiously opened her eyes, only to see Pyrrha's white, bloody, Grimm-like face expand and make the most frightening expression before plunging herself right at Ruby, about to destroy her...

She bolted upright in the bed, drenched in sweat and panting heavily. Her hair was a damp mess, spiking out here and there as a result of her probable thrashing. The sheets were seat-soaked, and a strange, tired feeling seemed to immerse her only a moment later.

She was in what looked like some sort of guest room, as the only furniture there was the simple, white-sheeted bed, a medium sized dresser with a mirror attached, a photo of some Atlas scenery, and a desk with a fan and a lamp on it.

She caught her breath for a moment and then sighed, the memories of reality sinking in and the nightmare fading away like a bad dream. Literally. It was nice and quiet in that room, and she was alone. Maybe she'd check on her bump; see how large it was without anything covering it...

"Ruby?"

Jaune's sudden voice nearly scared her out of her head. She jumped, started badly, and let out a short, cute squeal, her arms flinging out to the side and then automatically snatching the covers and holding them in front of herself.

She stared, wide-eyed at Jaune, who had been sitting in a chair, right beside her bed. She hand't even noticed him, somehow, when she had been looking around the room. And yet, there he was, sitting about a foot and a half away from her, looking at her.

"J-Jaune!" Ruby squeaked, her heart pounding in her chest, "H-Hi!"

"Hey," he said with a light smirk, holding up his hand in a waving gesture, "Um...how are you doing?"

Ruby's eyes darted around the room as the fear of him knowing about her pregnancy began to crowd her head. Whenever someone was so close, she was afraid of them finding out, whether it be from talking to her, or seeing it themselves. And with Jaune? Well, that was almost worse.

"Uh-I'm doing great!" replied quickly, slowly lowering the blanket and letting it just cover below her bosom, "H-How are you?"

Jaune chuckled and shrugged.

"I'm fine, too," he said, "But are you sure you're okay? You kinda looked really sick when you ran off like that...and when you threw up."

Ruby blanched, remembering the embarrassment from...well, whenever that had been. It had been later when they had gotten here to Maria's house, and the room, lit by natural light from the window, was decently lit. Had she slept through the night?

"Oh!" she said, plastering a large smile on her face, "Heh, that! Um, that was...well, I don't know, I was really tired from, er, the storm! And...uh, I don't think the milk was very nice on my...stomach!"

Jaune raised a brow, a slight look of confusion and concern crossing his face. "Okay?"

"And," Ruby continued, "I didn't sleep very well last night."

"Ruby," Jaune said, "You slept incredibly last night! Nora and Oscar accidentally dropped the heavy woodpile Maria told them to bring to the fireplace, right outside your room, and you didn't even stir. And it was _loud_!"

He motioned with his hands for emphasis. "I was in here all night, in case you were to wake up, and even I woke up from that. I'm a deep sleeper, you know."

Ruby felt even more embarrassed, and at the same time, worried.

"Oh, you did?"

"Yeah. I like not knowing what happens to my best friends."

"I'm your best friend?"

"Well...yeah. Um, am I yours?"

"Of course! You're my first Beacon friend, too."

"Yeah...same to you. I remember wishing you hadn't ran off with Yang so I could keep talking to you."

"Really? Why's that?"

"Um...well, you're a nice quirky girl!"

Jaune mentally facepalmed, knowing how awkward and weird that sounded. He did _not _want to get into that subject, or rather, he didn't want his romance with her to be a misunderstanding to her. That would be terrible.

"Am I though?" Ruby asked, half with mock mysteriousness, and half with curiosity. Jaune just sighed and nodded.

"You're cute, too."

_Jaune, you __idiot! Why would you say something stupid like that?! I thought I just told you to stay away from comments like that. Like, I literally just told you one comment ago to shut your mouth about that topic!_

Ruby felt herself blush, mostly from embarrassment. Jaune was starting to steer the topic now, and she didn't like it. She didn't want to tell him that she wasn't romantically interested in him, because it would hurt him badly.

She also didn't want to tell him that she loved Oscar, because then the two of them would be more suspected to be in some sort of romantic situation because they hadn't been very romantic with each other before. This was a bit more sudden. Her and Oscar's baby would be found out before they were ready for it to be discovered.

"Oh...that's nice," she said, mentally smacking her forehead. What kind of a thing to say was that?

Jaune looked up at her, knowing that he needed to ask her. Ask Ruby, not Oscar, if she liked him or not. He needed to know, if he wanted to make any moves or plans for the future. This was the talk he had been waiting for ever since he had fallen for her. And it was going to happen now.

"Ruby," Jaune said, taking a deep breath and summoning all courage he possessed, "I need to ask you something. Something that I've been waiting to ask for a little while now. I know it might sound weird, and I hope you understand if it does. But please tell me we're on the same page!"

He slammed his eyes shut and with another deep breath and a brief exhale, he blurted out,

"Ruby, do you love me?!"

That question seemed to echo in the room and hang in the air, followed by a long, awkward silence. The sounds of footsteps from the kitchen and the muffled sounds of people talking in another room could be heard much clearer in this silence, and Ruby felt her face growing very hot.

Jaune had finally asked it. After all this time, he had. And Ruby didn't know what to say.

She wanted to say no, that she didn't feel anything for him in that sense, and that she just wanted to be friends. But to imagine what kind of pain that would bring...He had already lost Pyrrha, and to loose another romantic partner now, and yet have to deal with seeing her all the time?

No, she needed to tell him the truth before things got too out of hand. If she kept it a secret, Jaune would try to ask her out or something, and she would be far too awkward about it to seem real about anything. She needed to let Jaune know that she didn't romantically like him.

"Look, Jaune," Ruby began, knowing that Jaune knew where this was going, "I like you, but not like that. You're my _best friend_. You were and still are always there for me in the hard times I've went through. And even when things were absolutely terrible for you, you kept moving forward."

Jaune's gaze went down, stinging Ruby's heart. He was not liking the way this was going.

"And that's what makes you so cool!" she continued, "And you're just...so awesome. You're a great guy, Jaune, but I-I well, don't 'like' you like you 'like' me. I guess...well, I guess we're just not meant to be. Or maybe just not yet! I mean, it could take a little while-"

"You like Oscar, don't you," Jaune cut in, his voice low like his head was, "That's why you don't love me like I do you."

Ruby felt her heart speed up even more in her chest.

"Well, hey, I never said that-" she said quickly, panic rising high up inside her, "I just said I didn't have those feelings for you!"

"Yeah, but you and him are always talking and that kind of stuff," Jaune said, "You even pecked him on the cheek when he packed up your tent for you before we left."

Ruby sighed and looked down, unsure of what to say. She felt like any word she said would ram her into a wall. She felt trapped.

"Well, _maybe_, but that had nothing to do with-"

"Of course it does!" Jaune broke in again, his voice rising with his temper, whether it be anger or sorrow or the two mixed together, "You can't exactly love two people at the same time! At least, not that I know. If you love Oscar, then you don't love me! It's simple logic, Ruby."

"Okay, fine!" Ruby yelled, "_I like Oscar_! But just because I do, it doesn't mean you get to be all mean and stuff to him, okay?! Don't get mad at him because I feel this way towards him; it isn't his fault at all!"

"Great!" Jaune shouted back, standing abruptly from his seat, "Because I don't need another girl! I've already had my first one _die _after kissing me and and shoving me into a locker; why should I expect another to come flouncing up to me?! Everyone at Beacon was right; I'll never amount to anything, and I'll never be the hero."

"That's not true!" Ruby cried, "You've been the hero before, and you're just as worthy of being one as any other huntsman with fancy training and weapons. It's your heart that qualifies you!"

"So what," Jaune said quietly, his voice cracking with emotion and his eyes on the brink of tears as he sat back down and bowed his head, "If I can't save my own teammate, my own _love_, how can I be the hero? My heart is unmendable, Ruby. Unmendable."

He sniffed and stared at the floor, making Ruby's heart break. This conversation had escalated very quickly, and had switched abruptly from romance to Jaune's hero status and self doubt. Both topics weren't good. Both hurt. Bad.

"Jaune," Ruby began, tears beginning to fill her own eyes, "A-are you okay?"

Jaune looked slowly up at her, eyes sparkling with tears and holding a heart wrenching look in them. "No."

"Is this all because of you liking me?" Ruby asked, "Or is it more?"

"Hey, you two loudmouths need to pipe it down over there!" Maria's old voice called from somewhere in the center of the house, "We're trying to discuss the game of chess!"

Jaune just stood up and began walking towards the door. He turned his head and looked one more time at Ruby with his pained expression. With his hand on the doorknob, he sighed.

"Both," he answered, opening the door and walking through it, very, very slowly.

Then Ruby, unable to take it any longer, burst into tears, the memories of her nightmare reoccurring again, along with the fact that she had just broken his already shattered heart and made him feel horrible again.

"I'm sorry, Jaune!" she sobbed, "I'm _so _sorry!"

As Jaune left the room, closing the door gently behind him, he heard her cry those last five words, and another pang of guilt and sorrow splashed over his stinging heart.

"I am too."

* * *

"Good morning, Miss Schnee," one of the few cheery maids of the Schnee Manor greeted her. She sett a hot tray of fluffy white pancakes onto the table in front of her, along with a pitcher of maple syrup and a bowl of assorted fresh berries.

"Good morning," Weiss answered with a yawn. She was very tired, as she had stayed up late into the night at the afterparty. Jacques had wanted her to stay as long as the guests did, which meant that she would be there at least to midnight.

And nearly everyone had left except for that one lady, the one with the tight red dress and gold earrings who was likely married to the gentleman who had complimented Weiss near the beginning of the party.

Once the clock had struck midnight, the woman and Jacques had left the banquet room, hand in hand as if they were a couple, to an unannounced location, leaving Weiss alone with only a few maids and butlers clearing the room and starting to clean it.

_Either he was assisting her home, or assisting her to his room,_ she thought bitterly as she watched the maid continue adding breakfast items to the table in front of her, _Why should I be surprised?_

"Master Whitley has said that he will be arriving for breakfast shortly," the maid announced after she put one final pitcher of milk beside a platter of pastries, "Is there anything you need?"

"No, thank you," Weiss said, looking up at her, her head resting on her hand. The maid nodded sweetly.

"Alright then," she said cheerfully, taking hold of the empty breakfast cart, "Enjoy your meal." And with that, she walked briskly away, soon to return to fill her cart up with dishes and the leftovers of the breakfast.

Weiss sighed and absently reached for a small, cream filled pastry, ignoring the fact that the cream was beginning to leak out onto her hand. She took a small bite and chewed if very slowly, swallowing it with a gulp of juice.

Then she continued to slowly eat at her pastry, staring off at a distant part of the wall across from her as she did so, thinking about nothing in particular and just drifting off, slowly chewing on the sweet, sticky pastry.

The large grandfather clock in the corner of the large dining room suddenly clicked, setting off the hour bells in a loud, clanging melody. It repeated twice, then made a loud clang, nine times.

It was nine 'o clock. She had been sitting there for half an hour already.

She jumped, startled by the loud clock, and then realized that she had been unconsciously licking her hand of the sweet cream that had leaked all over it. Disgusted, she quickly began wiping it off on a lacy napkin that was folded neatly beside her.

"You shouldn't eat so messily," she heard a smooth voice say in front of her.

Looking up, she met eyes with her brother; sky blue with sky blue. He smirked, his slick, Jacques smirk, making Weiss want to smack him and kick him to the ground. But instead she rolled her eyes with a weird smile.

"Oh, what's that I heard the maid say?" she said with mock accusation, "'Master Whitely is coming to breakfast soon'. Oh, and he's going to show up half an hour later." She shook her head.

Whitley sat formally down and carefully tucked a napkin onto his lap. He made another Jacques smirk before neatly picking at the various items on the table and slowly filling up his plate.

"Why are you so late?" she asked him, sitting up straight, "I thought you were normal early."

"Well, sometimes the _heir _of the Schnee Dust Company has a lot more to worry about that eating breakfast," he said smoothly, rising up the familiar anger in Weiss' chest, "But, seeing as it's considered the 'most important meal of the day', I couldn't exactly refuse it."

Weiss rolled her eyes and spooned some fruit onto her plate. "Okay."

"So," Whitley said, folding his hands and setting his elbows on the table, "Why exactly are you home? And with such confident satisfaction?"

"What, is it hard to believe that I could actually enjoy luxury and safety like this?" she answered a bit defensively, but careful to avoid any possible signs of lies or fallacy.

"Well, it's just not like you," he responded, looking slightly to the side as he thought, "You always seem to do nothing but rebel and fight whatever Father wishes for you to do or experience. I could always see it, in just about everything you did. But this, I will admit, has surprised me."

Weiss felt herself inwardly scream in panic.

_Oh my gosh, WHY is everyone suddenly seeing through this?! Mother is unconvinced; Whitley is doing his annoying questioning thing...If I mess up, things could get bad...or could they? Technically, I don't NEED to be at home. We just needed me to get into Atlas..._

Floating back to the present, she shook her head slightly.

"Like I'm just a robot and not a human being," she said, partially joking, "I can play a surprise just as good as you ever could."

"And then comes up your long buried away childhood sibling rivalry," Whitley said flatly, as if he were her parent, "Another off thing about you since you came back."

"Excuse me," Weiss said, feeling her temper rise, "My business is _my _business, not yours. Gloat all you want about having snatched my title of heiress; I don't care!"

"You mean, that Father _gave _to me," he corrected, "You were the one who angered him into doing that."

Weiss' hands balled up into tight fists and her cheeks began to glow. She stood abruptly up, officially ticked, and leaned forward angrily at her brother, her face infuriated while his was calm and smug.

"He didn't have the right to take that from me," Weiss exploded, "And you _certainly _don't deserve such a well honored position like that, you-you spoiled little brat!"

"Calm down now, sister," he said, still calm as ever, "Have a seat and stop fuming. It's not good for your complexion."

"Oh, it's not good for my complexion?!" Weiss said, even more enraged, "Ha, _you're _not good for my complexion! You want to know how? Because your haughty, prideful insults that you shove in my face, yelling, 'I'm better than you; Father loves me more' turn me into a _monster_! And I bet monster-complexion isn't very benefiting!"

Whitley seemed taken aback and disgusted. "You ungrateful rebel," he began.

"Girls, girls, you're both pretty," a tired, female voice said from above them, "Now shut your mouths and finish eating. I'm sure none of the maids appreciate having to clean up late."

The two siblings looked up to see Willow standing on the balcony above them, wearing a formal, white and blue dress that she had likely threw on from her wardrobe only a minute ago. Her hair wasn't put up like normal, but was in a large, messy mop that fell down around her shoulders.

She would've looked quite beautiful if her face pointed out exactly what she probably had been doing last night. Tired lines were under her eyes, accompanied by a light purple shading. She looked sick and tired.

"Good morning, Mother," Whitely greeted formally as she made her way into the dining room, "I was just explaining to Weiss how she needed to humble herself in the presence of this family, not go all out about how she's 'special'."

Weiss gasped.

"I _am _a part of this family!" she yelled, "I have every right to be equal in every way to-"

"Shut up," Willow said, so loudly and sternly that it echoed through the long corridor close by, "Both of you. I'm sick and tired of you two squabbling all the time, even if it isn't exactly about childish matters."

She grabbed a cup and messily poured some water into it, spilling some on the table cloth and then the floor as she walked, somewhat staggering a little, to the corner of the room. She leaned up against the wall and took a long drink.

Weiss and Whitley both exchanged dagger eyes before quickly composing themselves just in time for their mother to open her eyes and look back at them, glaring.

"I'm sorry," Weiss said, sitting back down and then taking a quick bite of her fruit. Whitely also resumed his eating, eating every item slowly and with a generally picky attitude. Willow just stood there, her cup to her lips despite the fact that it was empty.

"Wouldn't you agree that she has been acting rather strange since coming home, Mother?" Whitley asked, dabbing his mouth with another napkin that was folded by him. Willow mumbled something darkly and then finally said,

"So what."

"So you do notice something," Whitley said, giving Weiss a 'I've got you again' look, smug and haughty, "Because I find it very obvious-"

"Yes, she seems different, but so what," Willow continued, "Why is it of my concern? Should't I be as numb to my own children as Jacques is to you? We are, after all, your parents. Maybe I should follow his role model."

"Father is very caring of me," Whitley stated, somewhat defensively, "And it sickens me to hear someone such as yourself speak so ill of him."

Weiss felt her face flame up again. Whitley had just disrespected his own mother so casually, and right in front of her! He was dead; he was SO dead.

"I'm sure it's less disgusting to hear your own son speak ill of you," Willow replied, still sounding numb and exasperated, as if she was just done with living, "But seeing as I haven't much of a reason to care about anyone in general, I don't care."

"Drink your booze," Whitley answered sharply before turning back to his food, staring down at his plate with a bitter expression that Weiss had never seen before, "No sane person cares."

Weiss felt a large rush of anger, confusing, and sadness wash over her. Whitley had just been extremely rude to his mother, not apologized, of course, and had simply continued on with his meal as if he hadn't said anything bad.

But he had also made a certain bitter face that Weiss had only seen one person other than herself make. It was the bitter look her and Winter would make after being hurt or pained of something. And it was not an expression one could simply fake. It could only be seen naturally. So then, why and how did Whitley make that face?

"Alright, that's enough for me," Willow said as if defeated, "I have another argument to die in."

She through her hands up in some sort of defeat and then grabbed a hot cross bun that was on the table as she walked past, mumbling darkly under her breath again, like she always did when she was either upset, defeated, depressed, or sad.

Weiss looked back at Whitley, who now seemed to be drained of any pride, smugness, or happiness that he had held proudly before, and watched him slowly take a bite of his food, chew it, and then stare at his plate, the bitter look still there, accompanied faintly by what almost looked like exasperation.

Then she looked around at the empty diner, her and Whitley the only people there within a 20 yard proximity of the room, and then suddenly felt a tear rise up in her eye. It was too sudden to stop from rolling down her cheek and too emotional to keep more from following.

Soon enough, Weiss was very, _very_ quietly weeping, tears pouring uncontrollably down her cheeks and dripping onto her plate, her dress, and the table. She just felt so sad, so _broken, _about this broken family. How nobody talked to each other other than formally; how her father only spoke about wants; how her mother was almost nonexistent; how everything was just so void of love...

She wanted a real family, one like her team had been. No one in team RWBY was even related to her, and yet, they were the best family she had ever had. Loosing someone in her family, other than Winter, would hardly be a disturbance, whereas loosing someone from her team would be a world shattering thing.

She just wanted to be loved. Just wanted her heart to unthaw, but how? Would this family ever be fixed or the shattered shards put back together to form a new, beautiful mosaic? Or would it just stay this way forever...Unmendable.

The minor sounds that could be heard from her echoed slightly in the room, and Whitley looked slowly up from his plate.

And even though Weiss couldn't see him, he cast a small, sad and sympathetic glance at her, knowing how she felt, but not wishing to speak. He was too proud to speak of such things, and he was not going to let go of the little strength he had left from that pride.

* * *

***Sniff sniff* Aw man, Ruby broke Jaune's already broken heart! Poor guy...And I'm not really one of those people in the Fandom who google at everything Weiss, but I really pity her. 😢**

**By the way, if any of you guys following or just reading this story want more/less Weiss scenes, then please PM me or let me know in a review. It isn't really too important whether I have more or less right now, so if you feel inclined, go ahead.**

**And lastly, I just want to thank you all for your patience with all of my late chapters. Things get very busy somethings (people who don't just sit around playing video games understand) and so keeping weekly posts gets a little hard. **

**Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more chapters!**


	16. Reflections of Loss

Jaune sat alone in the corner of his room, his shoulder's hunched and his head bowed. On the floor by where his clenched hands sat lay his scroll, several teardrops surrounding it and even a few blotched on the screen.

A slow, steady stream of tears ran down his face, dripping off of his chin and adding themselves to the collection on the floor on on the scroll. His blond hair spilled messily over his forehead and fell all around his face, some of it in his eyes. But he didn't care.

The flickering image that lit up his screen was mildly distorted behind the cracked glass and bent case, but the whole picture was clear and composed enough to bring a constant sting to his heart, over and over again as he relieved the origin of the photo.

It was of Pyrrha, a bright, happy smile on her face in mid laughter while her red hair was being blown wildly around by the wind. Many autumn colored leaves could be seen, blurring by her in the background, along with the red and orange tops of the trees that they came from.

A bright red streak resembling Ruby in her semblance could be seen in an almost perfect line behind Pyrrha, the main reason for all of the crazy wind blowing everything in the picture around.

Jaune swiped his finer to the right, another photo of her appearing. This one showed her dressed in her uniform and holding her spear and shield, a photo taken during a training session shortly after class had ended. Her face was serious and firm, laced with that brave expression she always made in a fight.

He sighed, a shaky, emotional sigh, and squeezed his eyes shut, another round of tears pouring down his face. His heart was aching terribly at the moment, and all he wanted to do was sit there and mourn.

The pain of his loss felt fresh and deep right now, and his heart felt as if it had been mauled, left alone to get infected, and then got mauled again with only a slow, miserable interval in between to let it fester. He just could't bear it anymore. He needed to cry.

He swiped to the next picture, one of her simply standing there with her normal face, green eyes looking back at him as if waiting for him to do something or say something.

"Pyrrha..," Jaune began, his voice trembling, "I-I'm so sorry for never realizing how you felt for me. I was just so blind and so caught up in Weiss and Beacon and about how much I wanted to be the hero...I never saw it until it was too late."

He swallowed, more tears filling his eyes and rolling down his cheeks.

"And then, when I had the chance to stop you...to prevent you from killing yourself while trying to buy us all time or whatever...I didn't. I just let you leave one last scar before going off and leaving me here!"

He broke into a quick, short sob, his eyes squeezing tight again and his arms shaking momentarily. He sniffed and wiped his eyes before looking back at Pyrrha's sweet, understanding face.

"I know it wasn't your fault," he continued, his voice feeling tighter and tighter as he continued, "You were just being a huntress, who you knew you wanted and were destined to be. But why would you do that if you knew you'd die if you did?"

His voice was only a pained whisper when he spoke again, tears flowing even harder.

"I believe in destiny, but I don't think that one was yours!"

He began to weep uncontrollably, memories and images of Pyrrha ripping through his mind and making his sobs and tears come uncontrollably. His whole body shook violently as he did, and in only a few moments, his scroll was almost covered in the salty liquid that blurred its portrayed image.

"Pyrrha," he whispered, looking up at the ceiling, "Come back...please."

He knew she wouldn't and couldn't. She was dead forever, and no one could save her. No one could have saved her from Cinder, either.

_Cinder!_

Jaune's fists balled up tightly, so tight that his knuckles began to turn white under his gloves, as he relieved that horrible name. An image of her smug, haughty face flashed in his head, and a spike of anger ran up his back and produced a prickling heat on his neck, back, and face.

"Gah!" he growled, frustrated and angry beyond measure, standing up abruptly, "I hate you! I hate you so much!"

He began smashing his fists ruthlessly into the wall, his eyes shut, as he channeled his hatred towards her through his arms and into some form of physical appearance. The wall began to crack as he continued, ignoring the alarmed shouts coming from the other side.

"I just wanna smash your stupid face in!" he screamed through the loud banging noises he was producing, "Your idiotic, _stupid_ evil face in and turn you to red pulp! I'm gonna slice that grin off your face with my sword and stuff it down your throat, and force you to chew it while-"

A hand on his shoulder caused him to cease immediately, startled and ripped from his haze of anger and sorrow. He stopped pounding on the wall, turned around, and then slid down into a sitting position, his back against the wall with his head down.

He looked at the boots of the person standing in front of him, and felt even more anger erupt inside of him. He glared furiously up at Oscar, his teeth clenching, and then tensed up again.

"Jaune, I-" Oscar began, frightened when he made eye contact with him.

"And _you_!" Jaune growled, standing up and towering over him, "She died for _you_, and just because she thought you were on our side! Thought that you had nothing to hide from us and that you were a good, honest man. But she never knew what a monster you really are!"

Oscar shrunk back, eyes wide with fear. He mentally cursed Ozpin, knowing he wouldn't reply, and then stood up straighter, securing his own person and memories before he answered him.

"That wasn't me, that was Ozpin!" he said back, trying not to sound too harsh, "You need to stop blaming me like this!"

"No, you _are _him," Jaune shot back, thrusting his finger accusingly into his face, "Just a little longer and you'll be him but in a different body. You already talk like him sometimes, anyway. You called me 'Mr. Arc', for the gods' sake!"

Oscar felt a shroud of anger, fear, and a mingle of sadness and confusion cover over his face, giving him a flat and almost exasperated expression. He sighed and took one step back from him, realizing the truths he had said and the lies as well.

"Jaune," he said, giving him his poor farm boy look again, "I'm sorry if Ozpin did those things, and I'm sorry I have to be the illustration of it. I guess I did just as much wrong has he did, because his soul is in my body. So please accept this apology as if from him."

He made a sad, sincere face that made Jaune's heart melt on one side and harden on the other. His hands clenched into fists as the anger, sorry, and confusion of everything, all the secrets, all the lies, all the hidden clandestine things swirled vigorously around in him. He felt more adrenaline and madness rushing through his veins.

Then, with a loud shout of anger and a burst of aura, he shot his fist forward, punching Oscar hard in the face. Oscar reeled back, his hands immediately going to the punched spot, only to be met in the same place with another rock hard punch, harder than the first.

Oscar was about to dodge and then return the next one, but something inside himself, something he wasn't sure of, told him not to. To just sit there and take it all in as if he deserved it and it was his own punishment beating.

And so, without even being sure of why, Oscar stood there, Jaune dealing blow after blow to Oscar's face until his aura flashed down green and the next punch sent him to the floor, blood beginning to run down his face and into his mouth. Jaune just screeched, memories of Pyrrha and then memories of Cinder and Ozpin giving him more and more strength and momentum.

After only a few minutes, Oscar lay on the floor, blood running out of his nose and mouth, a large bruise on the side of his cheek, and even a small area of dispatched skin revealing flesh, on his chin. His aura was down, his head felt hazy and was starting to ache, and his whole face felt like one big burning bruise.

Jaune finally stopped, tears now running down the huntsman's face along with little drops of sweat that made some of his messy blond hair stick to his forehead a little more than before. He panted heavily, his own aura lower than before, due to the amount he used in his punches.

His heart was torn, bleeding, and slowly dying. And he had just taken some of that excruciating pain out of Oscar, or rather, Ozpin. But somehow, he took it, willingly. Did this mean he really deserved it? He had said that he had made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child on this planet, so did this mean that he deserved that brutal punishment?

No, maybe he didn't, and Oscar, this innocent, helpless young man forced to carry Ozpin's burden, had just dealt with the brunt of this pain. How awful of himself! He had just hurt a harmless boy...

Yes, yes he did deserve it. He had stollen Ruby's heart away, taking the last bit of sweet joy he could ever indulge himself in, just by looking at her. Oscar had swept her off her feet before Jaune could. And he probably knew that he liked her, and must've done it on purpose! What if he ended up breaking her heart later?!

Jaune's panting level elevated as his emotions began to build up again, more strength and anger making his fingers twitch uncontrollably.

"Get ou!" he suddenly screamed at Oscar, "GET OUT!" He pointed with a shaking finger at the door across the room, his teeth clenched and his face red and hot. Oscar, looking defeated, sad, and very much in pain, stood calmly up, walked towards the door, and then opened it.

"I'm sorry for the sorrow and loss Ozpin has brought you," he said quietly before quickly and silently leaving the room, closing the door gently behind him.

Jaune stood there, in the middle of the room, his whole body pulsing with heat, adrenaline, and anger. He couldn't bear the heavy burden of the feelings that he had bunched up inside of himself for almost 2 years now. The feelings that he had refused to allow to escape and that he shoved to the side so that he could tell the others to be strong.

To keep moving forward.

"But how can I keep moving forward if there's nowhere to go?!" Jaune shouted at the top of his lungs, "Pyrrha's dead! Ruby's gone from me! My life has been a lie this whole time, and now I'm suppose to keep moving forward?!"

He collapsed to his knees and began to sob, his who body shaking hard as he did. Tear drops dotted the floor and soaked into the carpet, leaving a darker wet spot in its place. And then the room was silent.

Jaune stood up, slowly, and then stared at the wall he had recently pounded his feelings on. There were two very large dent-like marks in the wall, and many, many cracks surrounded and covered it like a spiderweb. Bits of chipped paint and cement from the wall littered the floor below it and threatened to fall from the wall.

Wiping his eyes, he slowly stood up and walked to his bed, which was pressed up against Qrow's in the smallish, cluttered room. He, Ren, Oscar, and Qrow shared that room while Ruby and Yang shared one, Nora and Blake shared on, and Maria, of course had her own.

He sat down heavily on his bed and flopped down onto his back, staring up sadly at the off-white ceiling. The tiny patches of golden morning sunshine that had sneaked through the shades and onto the ceiling looked like tiny gold lakes on a gray and snowy plane.

Then he lay there, drinking in the silence, the faint sounds of birdsong from outside, and the muffled talking from the others who likely had no idea of his misery and desperate pain right now. Maybe they thought that his banging had been from his anger at Oscar. Man, how much he had beat the snot out of that poor guy.

Jaune covered his face with his hands, feeling more hot tears filling them and making them wet. He continued to silently cry, wondering if he'd ever stop or if he'd every even leave the room today. He was just such an emotional mess. It was all too much for him to keep hiding.

Why was he so upset, and why did he feel so alone? He still had his seven sisters and his parents, not to mention all of team RWBY and Nora and Ren. They all loved him and were his best friends, and it was so wonderful. But for some reason, the feelings that Pyrrha's death had drained, along with the fact that Ruby didn't love him, seemed to cancel that all out at the moment.

"I should be grateful," he murmured weakly, his throat aching when he talked, "That I still have her as a best friend. It's not like she's dead...I just can't be with her, be the love of her life. And what's wrong with that? It's not like I've _always _liked her."

He sighed and uncovered his face, looking back up at the ceiling again.

"In fact, it wasn't until after I got rejected from Weiss and after Pyrrha died that I started really having feelings for her. She even seemed to like me too, that was, until Oscar..."

He felt his anger rising again, but he quickly slowed it down, closing his eyes and blocking it out. No more outrages. It was time to be calm and to figure things out.

"Ugh, I'm being so selfish!" he groaned, sitting up and looking at the door, "I should be happy with what I have and keep moving forward. Pyrrha even told me that everyone has a purpose, and that mine was to be a huntsman." He sniffed, feeling his emotion building up again.

"And if she was here, she'd be telling me to pick myself up off the ground and keep going; to not let anything hinder my destiny and what I'm doing." He sighed, closing his eyes. "And she'd be proud of me right now. All of us."

He wiped his eyes again and sniffed, feeling his aching heart cry out for Pyrrha, and at the same time, smiling at the words he had just spoken. It was all true, what he had just said, and he could live by it. If Pyrrha would and could, he would. He'd live by her now.

Taking in a deep, shaky breath, he cleared his throat and tried to smile, even though it was partially against his will and contradictory to his emotional state. He finally managed, after several failed attempts, to produce a wobbly, pained smile, tears sparkling in his eyes while he did.

But then, glancing down at his scroll again, the image of Pyrrha's calm, understanding face looking at him as if saying, "I told you you could," he felt more tears rise up into his eyes, and his smile faded instantly.

He broke down into more heart wrenching sobs, tears pouring down his face and seeming to supply an infinite stream that could carry out his seemingly infinite sorrow. The last thing he remembered before crying himself to sleep was Pyrrha's face, partially hidden behind the grates of her school locker and her last words to him before she was gone from him forever.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

Ruby stood there, staring at herself in the mirror that was attached to the dresser. Her shirt was up and she was carefully examining her bump, which was larger than it had been when she last checked on it. That had been all the way back when they were still at camp.

She slowly rubbed it, the urge to do that feeling natural, for some reason. It just felt so good to do that, as if she was embracing her baby before it was even born. Well, whatever the real reason was, it was good and it made her feel closer to her baby.

She covered it back up with her shirt, cringing at how much she noticed it. Sure, it really wasn't that bad, but especially since she had just seen its uncovered, beautiful bareness, she could really see it. She just hoped that no one else would be able to see it as much as she did...

"Hey, sis!"

The door burst open and Yang flew in, slamming the door shut behind her before she jumped onto her bed and rolled over onto her side, propping her head up on her elbow. "Watch'a doing?"

"Eek!" Ruby squeaked, leaping from her spot in front of the mirror and turning around, frightened half to death by her sister's sudden entry. When she realized that it was just Yang and that her bump was no longer exposed, she relaxed, panting from the excitement.

"Yaaaaang!" Ruby wined, "Quit doing that!"

Yang winked one of her eyes and stuck out her tongue, then giggled playfully. "Well, sorry for being the best big sister ever."

"No, best big sisters ever don't do that!" Ruby argued back.

"Yah huh," Yang answered, "Just ask Dad. He has an official Best Sisters rule book. Written sincerely by Taiyang Xiao Long!" Yang laughed.

Ruby sighed and smiled, shaking her head at her and Yang's pretend sibling fighting. It was fun and helped her keep her mind off of the negative things that always seemed to be going on. And right now, she really needed that.

Yang was wearing her pajamas still, despite the fact that it was almost noon. The morning had passed quickly after Jaune had stormed off, angry about Ruby's lack of love for him, and Ruby had just decided to sleep until she felt better.

She was currently wearing her newer pajamas; a tight black tank top with a looser red shirt over it to hide her bump, along with some tight black leggings. Comfortable as they were, she still didn't like the red shirt. She thought it made her look ugly, and she didn't like how it hung around her the way that it did.

"So what are you _going _to do?" Yang asked after a while as she picked her bare toes. Ruby shrugged.

"Maybe I'll call Weiss," she said, eyeing her scroll that lay on her messy bed. Yang popped up from her laying position, her massive mop of golden hair following her and then deciding to stick up all around her in a tangled mess.

"Oh my gosh, how did I forget that we could do that?" she said, purposely laying the shock on thick. Ruby rolled her eyes.

"I dunno," she said, walked towards her bed and snatching her scroll, "But I don't see why we couldn't. We're not even that far away from the Schnee Manor, too."

"Okay," Yang said, shrugging, "What're you gonna tell her? Give her an update on how things are going here, O Great and Powerful Team Leader?"

"Yang," Ruby mumbled, dialing Weiss' number in, "Cut it out."

"Fine, fine," Yang answered, waving her hand, "Just tell her I say hi."

"Will do," Ruby murmured, holding the scroll up to her ear after she pressed the call button, "You can leave now."

"Sheesh, sis," Yang said with mock offense, "I didn't know I was such a burden to you just to be in the room-"

"Quit it!" Ruby yelled angrily, making Yang step back. She flashed Ruby a grin and then nodded her head.

"Okay, okay, have fun."

Then Yang left, shutting the door behind her and then breaking out into an obnoxious loud tune that Ruby hated. The sounds slowly trailed off as Yang walked farther and farther away.

"Hello?"

"Weiss! Hey, how are you?" Ruby felt excitement surge through her at the sound of her friend's voice. Even though it had only been a little more than a day, it had felt like years.

"I'm good, thank you. Where are you guys?" Weiss sounded both relieved and concerned to be getting a call from them.

"We're in Atlas City Left, at Maria's house."

"Everyone's there? No one's hurt or anything?"

"Nope! We're all good!"

"And the Lamp?"

"Safe and sound. Maria was hitting people's heads with her cane because we asked." Ruby giggled.

"Well, that defiantly sounds like Maria." Ruby could almost _hear _Weiss roll her eyes.

"Yeah, you're missing out on some good stuff here," Ruby continued excitedly, "The snow, the ice, the blizzards, the cold weather..."

"Yes, yes, I get it. I've _never _seen anything like that before, ha ha."

Ruby giggled again. "Yeah. Getting here was actually pretty easy! There was just this one dude who-"

Ruby froze, suddenly remembering something she had wanted to ask Weiss about every since she had heard his name. In fact, she was sure that the entire group was wondering who that man was and why his last name was what it was.

"Hey, Weiss?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have an uncles?"

"Yes. I have three. Two on my father's side and one on my mother's."

"What are their names?"

"Um...why?"

"No reason!"

"Ruby, I _swear_, if you try calling them up and-"

"No, no! Don't worry about that! It's just, I think I might have met one fo them."

"Your kidding."

"Nope."

"Well, there's Uncle Frere and Uncle Geforen, on my father's side, and then there's Uncle William, on my mother's side."

"Huh. What's your dad's name?'

"Jacques."

"Do you have any older brothers?"

"No. Just one younger one, Whitley."

"Cousins?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

Ruby stood there, confused.

"Okay...um, do you know a Vorst Schnee?"

A long moment of silence passed on her scroll, and Ruby began to get impatient.

"No," Weiss finally answered, "I don't. Are you sure his last name isn't something else, or if he was lying?"

"I dunno, Weiss. He has the white hair and the blue eyes...just like you and Winter. Although, his eyes are darker blue than yours."

"That's very strange. I don't know anybody in this family, or even extended family, named Vorst. How old his he?"

"I have no idea. But he looks like he could be in his twenties or maybe even his thirties."

"Still doesn't ring a bell."

Ruby let out a loud, frustrated sigh. "Of course not."

"Well, it's not like I know everything," Weiss snapped back. Ruby suddenly burst out laughing, very audible on her scroll for her to hear.

"What's so funny?" Weiss asked, barely audible over Ruby's laughing, "Did I say something?! What are you doing?!"

"Imagining if you had said that in the Emerald Forest!" Ruby squeaked, hardly able to breath, "I have to be imagining that; it's too funny!"

"No it is not," Weiss mumbled, "Was there anything else you wanted to tell me? I have to leave for the afternoon meal soon."

Ruby quickly composed herself, not wanting Weiss to get in trouble and not wanting to waste any precious time on what she could be telling her. Weiss had told Jacques that she was dead, for whatever reason, and if he saw her calling his daughter, he'd know instantly that Weiss had lied and that she was probably hiding something.

"Should I tell Jaune that you like him?" Ruby blurted out randomly, earning a little gasp from her friend, "Cuz he told me that he liked me, but I told him that I liked Oscar, and then he got _really _upset, and now I don't know what to do! He's super sad because of Pyrrha and he had always tried to get you to like him before and-"

"Hold on a second," Weiss interrupted, trying to take in everything Ruby had just burst out, "You want to tell him that I like him to make him feel better about loosing Pyrrha and not having you?"

"Well, yeah?"

"I mean, it kind of makes sense...but he'll think that you're lying."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because! This is _so _out of the blue. I never liked him, and I was always so rejecting of him for just about the entire time I've known him. So why would he believe you when it wouldn't make any sense for him to?"

"Well...why do you like him all of the sudden, then?"

"It's...complicated. Maybe I'll tell you later. I'll just say that things change, and people don't exactly see what happens behind the scenes in a movie or whatever. Things happen that people don't see."

"Wait, does this have to do with that one time a while back before Emerald and Mercury captured me and Oscar-"

"NO! I mean, yes! I mean, maybe? Okay, now you're prodding me too much. It's not really any of your business."

"It isn't?"

"No! Just leave that alone, please."

"Wait, can I still tell him?"

"Well, I mean, I don't know. If you really think you _need _to. I mean, I don't think it'll ruin anything. In fact, thank you for liking Oscar. I knew you liked him, I just didn't really know if I should've said anything. Glad you finally told people."

"Well, I mostly just told Jaune, but you know...the news has probably already spread pretty fast."

The sound of the door opening behind her startled her again, and she jumped, whipping around to see who had entered the room. It was Yang, who was now holding Ember Celica and then dropping them onto her bed. She hopped up next to them, bouncing a little from the mattress, and then began polishing them with a cloth of polish.

Ruby tried to ignore the fact that Yang was probably just polishing her gauntlets in the room so that she could eavesdrop on her scroll call, and she turned away, rolling her eyes to continue her conversation with Weiss.

"Well, you know how complicated romance can be," Weiss continued, "Full of flaws; Void of perfection."

"Wow, Weiss," Ruby said, "Never knew you had so much experience with that kind of thing. At least you would if you actually tried to pursue anyone for once in you life!" She giggled a bit.

"You stop with that this instant, Ruby Rose! It's not like you have any...Oh wait."

"Yeah, Weiss! Like I don't have anyone I like. It's been causing me so many problems! It even got me-"

She froze, suddenly realizing what she had almost blurted out for Yang and Weiss to hear. Despite the fact that she had solemnly been hiding her pregnancy for almost four months now and had stored that information deep within herself...literally, she had almost said that fact loud and clear, just about dooming her and Oscar forever.

"Got you what?' Weiss asked, confused.

"Got me...um," Ruby began, feeling Yang's eyes on her now "Got me a, uh, death warrant from Jaune! To Oscar. Because of complications."

"What is that suppose to mean?!"

"It means that Jaune hates Oscar because he likes me and Jaune likes me, but I like Oscar and not Jaune!" Ruby spilled out in one long sentence. There was a pause on her scroll as Weiss mulled what her friend had just said over.

"Aw, my baby sister needs a hug!" Yang's voice said from behind her. Ruby felt Yang's arms around her waist only a moment after, and she was lifted into the air and into her sister's arms, her face shoved tightly against her neck.

"Yaaaaaaang..," Ruby's muffled wine came as she tried to breath, but at the same time, accepted the hug with happiness and some kind of defeat and yielding, "I'm talking to Weiss."

"Yang?" Weiss's transistored voice sounded quietly from Ruby's scroll, which was a few inches from Yang's left ear, "Did you steal Ruby's scroll."

"Nope!" Yang answered back playfully, "Just giving my poor baby sister a hug. She's under a lot of stress, you know." She fuzzed her sister's messy black and red hair while sticking out her tongue.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Weiss answered, her eye roll nearly audible, "Should I hang up? I should probably go, anyway..."

"No!" Ruby squealed, jerking herself from her sister's hold and reaching wildly for her scroll, "Not yet! Uh, when can I call you back?!"

Yang laughed as she waved Ruby's scroll high above her head while she tried desperately to grab it. She pressed the speaker phone button with her thumb, giggling as Ruby slumped to the floor in defeat, her loose red shirt flapping with her.

"I don't know," Weiss said, unaware of the situation, "Maybe later tonight? I don't have much going on."

"Okay!" Yang shouted back in an unnaturally high voice as she tried to impersonate her sister, "I'll just do that!" She burst out laughing while Ruby crossed her arms angrily, sitting at Yang's feet.

Then she gritted her teeth and suddenly blurred upwards with her semblance, a brief flurry of red rose petals rising up as she did so. She snatched the scroll from Yang's hand and then burst to her bed, bouncing with the mattress, and then wrapped herself up in her blanket.

"Ruby, what's going on over there?!" Weiss said, annoyed and confused at the various strange noises coming from Ruby's end.

"Help!" Ruby cried as Yang's arms began trying to untangle the blanket, her muffled laughs resounding over and over, "I'm being attacked by the Yang-Monster!" She finished her plea with a little squeak and her thumb accidentally slid over the call end button.

"Yang, you doofus!" Ruby yelled, pulling the blanket off her head and giving her sister a menacing glare, "She's my best friend and I barely get to talk to her!" Her mood swing began to settle in again. "You're so _mean_!"

Yang blinked.

"Okay, okay! Sheesh," she said, holding her hands out for peace with a raised brow, "You don't have to get all emotional about it. I was just poking a little fun at my super uptight little sister."

"Well, now's not the time!" Ruby snapped back, "We're on a mission and we need to talk to our teammates about things! We don't have any time for fun!"

Yang shook her head and rolled her eyes, a little grin on her happy, sunny face, "Okay. You don't need to act like that and there _is _time for fun, even now. There's just a right time and a right place, 'kay?"

Ruby just grunted something and flopped down on her bed, still feeling very upset about having hung up on Weiss without saying anything. And she didn't think calling back was a good idea. Weiss had said that she needed to go eat lunch and she didn't want to get her into any trouble. So much for trying to calm down a bit.

Her heart seemed to sigh and reality sunk back in. She was pregnant, in Atlas, unauthorized and on a mission, with one of her best friends raging about her, her boyfriend fretting about her and trying to keep her secret, trying to keep the secret herself, and her bestie stuck in a place she hated. Her mom was dead and her dad was lonely. Beacon was destroyed. Salem was going to destroy everything or whatever...

And all of Ruby's anger and disappointment of before melted into gloom and sadness, and she wanted nothing more than to go find Oscar and curl up on her bed with him, her head against his broad chest and his strong arms around her, with no one else in the room.

"I'm gonna go help Maria make lunch," Yang finally spoke up, pointing her thumb at the door, "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Ruby mumbled back, her face now stuffed in her blanket.

"Okay then," Yang said, "Hope you're feeling ready for finding the Atlas Relic! Well, whenever that is...But soon!" She left with a grin and a wink, and the Ruby was left alone, all to herself again.

Standing up from her bed, she walked to the door, locked it, and then crossed the room to the fan, turning it on and taking a large breath of the cool air that it had begun to blow into her face. Then she walked back the her bed and flopped down onto it, snuggling under the covers.

Then, sighing and sliding off her big red shirt and tossing it onto the floor, she curled up and fell asleep, a light smile on her face as she let the heavy weight of everything drift away along with her consciousness.

* * *

**Funny timing of this story, my mom just found out she's expecting, so hoorah!**

**I just mixed the usual Weiss scene with the scroll scene, so there isn't just a solo Weiss scene. Hopefully you guys were okay with that...And poor, poor Jaune! I'm sorry, but that Arkos scene was too fun to write. Depressing scenes are fun to write. ;-:**

**A big thank you to cbustroyer and some guest (that's literally the guest's name) for giving me some feedback and ideas. I really appreciate it! And a different guest that mentioned killing the emoji in my last note...that made me laugh. Thanks!**

**Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more chapters!**


	17. The Return of Winter

"We should probably get going," Qrow said as he slowly polished the blade of Harbinger, sitting on the edge of his bed.

Ren, Qrow, Oscar, and Jaune were all in their room, either on their beds or on the floor. Jaune was standing glumly in the corner with his arms crossed, looking down; Ren was in a meditating position in the center of the floor, sitting down; Qrow was polishing his sword, and Oscar was laying on his bed, slowly healing his injuries that Jaune had inflicted on him earlier,

He had explained that he had just fallen down the somewhat rocky hill close by, outside of the house, and that his fall had been responsible for the damage that had been delt to him. The others had bought it, and Jaune said nothing to either confess or agree.

"When?" Jaune asked quietly from his corner.

"As soon as Oscar remembers where the Relic is," Qrow answered, looking at his reflection on his now shiny blade, "Then we'll leave as soon as possible and try not to take an eternity to find and then take it. We also need to make sure that when we break open the vault that we don't make a public spectacle of ourselves."

He turned his blade to get a better angle of his facial hair, then lifted to sharp tip of it to his chin and skillfully shaved a small bit of the black hair off. He continued doing this, slowly and carefully, as he and the others discussed.

"How are we gonna do that?" Jaune asked, his eyes still fixed on the floor, "I thought it would be some sort of crazy explosion or something." He spoke in a low, gloomy voice, ambient enough and the room quite enough for the group to hear without straining to listen.

"Maybe," Oscar mumbled from his bed, "That just depends on weather or not we do it as naturally as we can."

"Naturally?" Jaune asked, finally looking up at his current foe, "What does that mean?"

"What he means is that he uses Ozpin's magic as rawly as he can muster, breaking open the gate with as little resistance as possible," Ren finally spoke up, his eyes closed as he continued meditating, "After all, the Maiden's magic originates to Ozpin's, therefore meaning that using Ozpin's magic would be a similar, if not direct source."

"Exactly," Oscar muttered, holding up his mildly glowing green hand to his face and pressing it onto a large bruise. He winced for a moment as his hand first touched it, and then he closed his eyes and relaxed as it healed.

"Great," Jaune said, his voice drained of most of emotion, "So where's the Relic, Oscar." He looked towards him, the other two men following suit.

Oscar mumbled something under his breath as he finished up healing his face, then he sat up with a sigh and looked hard at the three others. A moment of silence passed as Oscar went deep back, through the barrier of his own thoughts and memories, and then back to the ones that were not his own.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, squinting as he went back to the time where Ozpin had been placing the Relics in the Academies to hide them from an threats and power-thristy entities searching for them...

Then he opened his eyes.

"It would be a lot easier to say the exact location," he began, trying to ease out of his Ozpin-mode, "If were were actually _in _Atlas Academy right now, but as for right now, I can tell you that I'm pretty sure it's up higher. Like, in the tower part of the place."

The three others exchanged glances and then looked back at Oscar.

"So should we head over there right now?" Jaune asked, "Or should we stay put."

"No, I think you pansies have had enough rest already," Qrow cut in, "We've been here for several hours and spent the night. We got our bodies rested up, our bellies fed, and our mission gloom set back a few paces. I think we're all set."

Oscar looked at Jaune, and then at Ren, a questioning look in his eyes.

"I agree with Qrow," Ren said with a nod. Jaune seemed to think a moment before narrowing his eyes and firmly setting his jaw.

"Yes," he said, sounding somewhat angry and also somewhat determined, "You know what? Let's do that. Let's get the Relic and then get out of this city and find the other ones."

Oscar shrugged. "Well okay then. I guess we'll get ready to go then."

"I'll inform the others," Ren said, standing up and heading for the door. He quickly exited and left the other three alone.

"I'll get ready," Jaune said, flashing Oscar some kind of glare before he began rummaging through his stuff without looking back up. He still seemed somewhat upset at the moment, even two hours after his punching spree with Oscar and a nice large lunch.

Oscar and Qrow exchanged a brief nod, both knowing what the other was implying, and then Qrow stood up, grabbed Harbinger, and then left the room also. Then Oscar, not wanting to be near Jaune at all right now, quickly left through the door, leaving Jaune to himself.

Meanwhile, Ren was walking through the halls, headed towards the kitchen where Maria, Blake, Nora, and possible Yang were, likely cleaning up the remnants of lunch. Ruby might also be in there, considering how her door had been locked when they had tried to get her to come and eat. Maybe she had come back and eaten some leftovers.

He entered the kitchen to see Maria vigorously scrubbing a sink of dishes and singing a loud, clamorous, old-sounding tune while Blake and Nora were clearing the table, Nora singing along with Maria. Blake looked annoyed as she silently did her work.

Yang was energetically wiping the counters with a clean rage, singing with Nora and Maria and working her arms like she would in a fight. Her hair was wiping around behind her as she swung her head from side to side while she sang. It was a funny scene to walk in on. Unfortunately, Ruby was not there.

"It's time to leave for Atlas Academy," Ren informed them as he stood at the entrance to the kitchen, "Take your weapons and get ready to leave shortly."

"Hold it there, Hushboy," Maria yelled for no particular reason, "We aren't leaving until my kitchen is as clean as the toilet!"

"Uhm..," Yang said, looking questioningly at the back of Maria's head, "How clean is your toilet, exactly?"

"Impeccably clean!" Maria shot back, lifting the soapy sponge she was using and then wiping it at Yang, sending a spray of warm and dirty dishwater at her, "What did you think? I never clean them? Inconceivable!"

"Okay, okay," Yang said, wiping the water off of her herself, "I get it. Understood, Ma'am."

Ren sighed and shook his head with a faint smile.

"Alright," he said, "I suppose, if you ladies don't take too long."

The girls all nodded and continued on with their work with more energy than before. Ren nodded and then headed for Ruby's room, which was upstairs. He climbed the flight of stairs, walked down that hallway, and then stopped in front of Ruby and Nora's room, hoping that it was either unlocked, or Ruby wasn't in it.

He knocked softly on the door, knowing the consequences of simply barging in. It had happened once with Nora, and boy, what a catastrophe that had been. Nora hadn't seemed to mind, grinning as she had been in the process of dressing, but it had scarred Ren permanently. Nora still laughed at that memory.

There was no reply, so he knocked again, a little harder and then called somewhat quietly,

"Ruby, it's time to leave for the Relic. We're all getting ready."

Still no reply.

"Ruby, wake up!" Ren called louder, "It's time to go." Unfortunately, his loudest calling voice wasn't much louder than his normal calling voice, and it wasn't much of a surprise to him when there still wasn't a reply. Maybe Ruby still felt sick.

Sighing, he turned around and walked back to his room, down the stairs, past the loud kitchen, and then past Oscar, who was staring at the floor as he walked past him. He certainly was in a good mood today.

He finally met up with Jaune, who now had his shield and his sword all read to go.

"Ren," Jaune said, "Is everyone getting ready?"

"The girls are cleaning the kitchen with Maria," Ren reported to his leader, "They'll finish their work and hopefully pack up soon after."

"Oh, Ruby's finally out of her room?"

"No, the door is still locked and she isn't answering me when I call to her."

"Is she still sick?"

"I have no idea."

Jaune shook his head and sighed, looking very stressed and exasperated. This mission had really seemed to put some weight on him, that was for sure, but there seemed to be something else. He had seemed a _little _more upset after he had talked to Ruby. And her door was locked now, after her conversation with Jaune...

"Aright," Jaune finally said after a few moments of silence, "I'll go try to get her up; you make sure that everybody else is ready and waiting outside."

He patted Ren on the shoulder, gave him a brief nod, and then the two of them headed back down the hall, parting ways when Ren walked into the kitchen to help speed things up and Jaune went up the stairs.

Just as he started down the hallway, however, he bumped into Oscar, who seemed to be going in the same direction as he was. He had entered the hall from the bathroom, which was a few doors from Ruby and Nora's room, and was walking directly towards the room.

The two stood there, looking hard at each other. Oscar's face was all healed now, and only a soft but upset face lingered from that incident. Jaune's face portrayed only anger and frustration, nothing much more, as he glared at Oscar with his deep blue eyes.

Neither said anything for a full minute as they stood there, only the sounds of the activity downstairs being heard. Then Jaune took a step forward and Oscar immediately went in front of him.

"Where are you going?" he asked him.

"Why?" Jaune answered, suspicious, "Are you trying to go sweet talk Ruby or something?"

Oscar's eyes widened and then squinted in anger. "No, I was just trying to get her up since it's time to go."

Jaune looked unconvinced. "Are you sure about that?" he said stubbornly, "I'm doing that."

He started walking forwards when Oscar stopped him with his arms, a determined, stern look on his face. Jaune frowned, getting more impatient and more angry with the man in front of him. He wanted to punch him again, this time, out the window and onto the cold, snowy ground below.

"No, you are _not_," Oscar said firmly, "Now get out there and help the others get ready. This is my thing to do, and if you don't want her to hate you, I suggest you do as I say."

Oscar was getting bitter again, in an Ozpin-type way. But this time, it seemed purposeful, as if he was _trying _to do that to scare him away or something. Jaune wasn't sure, but all he knew was that he hated Oscar right now and he was sick of him and the fact that him and Ruby were "together".

Giving out an angry snort, he turned and stomped down the stairs, wondering if he should go back up and knock Oscar over, or just continue the preparations to leave. He decided hesitantly to do the latter, and he joined the noisy conglomeration in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Oscar stood in front of Ruby's door, his heart thumping in his chest. Despite the fact that he had dangerously stood up to Jaune and had purposely used some of the mildly distant Oz stuff, he felt relieved that he had been able to do that.

He knocked on the door, wondering if she had woken up since Ren had been here. When she didn't answer, he knocked again, this time much louder. Again, only silence answered him.

Clearing his throat, he spoke with his mouth agains the wood.

"Ruby," he said, "It's me, Oscar. It's time to go. Are you feeling okay?"

Nothing.

Shrugging, he held up his hand and watched it start to glow a bright green. Then he slowly pressed it up against the door, close to the knob, and watched as it melted into the wood and appeared on the other side, in the room. Feeling around for a minute or so, he finally felt the lock on the handle and unlocked the door.

Then he slid his hand back, the wood completely unfazed.

_Nifty._

Then he carefully opened the door, stepping inside the room and then closing the door behind him. He glanced around the room, hoping that Ruby wasn't missing or something bazar like that. Then again, was it? She was being hunted all the time...

"Hey, Ruby?" he began as he looked from side to side, "It's time to go and the others are waiting. Are you feeling-"

He paused when he laid eyes on her, blinking for a moment and then smiling.

Ruby was laying on her bed, half on her back, half on her side, with the blanket loosely covering about half of her body. She was wearing tight black clothes, outlining every possible feminine charm about her. The thing it most accented was her bump.

Smooth, round, and firm, it could be very easily seen; knowing it was there, or not. It was much larger than he remembered it ever being, and without any clothing much to cover it up and hinder its size and shape, it easily made her look like a cute, pregnant girl. It also made her look kind of pretty.

He sighed, walked over to her, and then pulled the rest of the blanket up over her. Then he stepped back towards the door and took one last look at her, a twinkle in his hazel eyes and a soft smile on his lips.

"You know what," he said quietly, looking deeply at the love of his life, "Go ahead and sleep. We'll be fine."

Then he silently exited the room, locking the door before closing it, and then walking back down the stairs to find the others. To his mild surprise, they were all waiting for him outside, standing by the porch in the snow. It was lightly snowing, nothing serious or delaying. It was actually somewhat pleasant.

"There you are!" Nora said loudly.

"Where's Ruby?" Jaune asked.

"Are we leaving yet?" Yang complained, purposely adding some draggy whine.

Oscar blinked at the questions that had all been hurdled at him all at the same time. Then he held up his hands, beaconing for them to please stop talking and to let him finish walking down the steps of the porch.

"Ruby's still feeling sick," he announced, "And she really isn't feeling well. I asked her to come, but she told me that it was pretty bad, so I told her that if she was feeling better enough to head over to Atlas Academy as soon as possible. Otherwise, we'll have to do this one without her."

A mix of disappointed looks, upset looks, and "oh well" looks broke out amongst the group, and then they all shrugged and then nodded back to him after a short while. Jaune looked the most unhappy.

"Well then in that case," Qrow said, casting a slightly concerned glance to the window of Ruby's room, "Let's get going. We don't wanna take forever to get this thing."

The group all nodded their affirmative answers and then, after Jaune took the lead in the front of the group, they started off on the path to Atlas Academy, without Ruby and without Weiss.

* * *

Weiss walked through the long, somewhat chilly hallway, the cold lights from the crystal chandelier above making white patches of light on the royal blue carpet that lined the hall. The light from the windows next to her also let in plenty of similar light, and altogether, the whole place was rather bright today. It was also a bit drafty.

Her footsteps from her heels echoed as she walked, like they always did, and all she could do was wonder what in Remnant she could do. She was bored out of her mind, like she always was when she was here.

No missions to spend her energy on. No Grimm to fight. No lives or homes to save. No friends to talk or laugh with. Instead, she was walking in the long, cold hallway of a rich and fancy mansion, with no world-saving burden on her shoulders, and nothing to do.

_I could try to call Winter...No, I should't be interrupting her for no reason, nor should I give her the wrong thoughts about the fact that I'm at home right now, upon my own free will. Gosh, she'd think bad of that._

She shook her head and walked a little quicker, keeping her head down. For some reason, she felt that if she were to look up, Willow would appear and do or say something unpleasant. She wasn't even exactly sure what unpleasant meant at the moment. It just wasn't something she wanted to happen.

She finally arrived at the large glass doors that opened up to the large balcony where she used to train, sometimes with Winter. It just looked so empty sometimes when she knew all that was there was the stone, paint, and wood it was made from. When she knew she was about to fight or something, it was more like a battle field.

But right now, as she stepped out onto the chilly balcony, it was just a balcony, the large stone statue of the Schnee crest with two wings alongside it standing proudly there. The many columns that bordered the large balcony led up to the second level of the mansion, several windows and doors along with it.

As grand as it was, it was somewhat cold, as she could see her breath puff out in front of her, and it had no appeal to her. It was all just the same old same old, like everything here was.

She walked out into the center, watching a few tiny icicles that hung off the sides of the other small balconies above drip slowly onto the ground. Then she looked up at the sky, which was cluttered with light gray clouds. It was lightly snowing, not much of a thrill or a problem. More boredom.

She sighed, drinking in the unbearable silence that she was already drunk on, and then looking down at her shoes. It felt weird not wearing her scarf. She had only been wearing it for a few weeks, but now that she wasn't anymore, it felt somewhat strange for whatever reason.

A sudden disturbance in the atmosphere caused her to look abruptly up, alert and tense. She looked up just in time to see something long, silver, and pointy falling right towards her.

She gasped turned around, catching it perfectly by the handle before it could hit her, and if fit her hand perfectly, whatever it was. She looked at it, surprised and confused at what it was.

She was now holding Myrtenaster in her hand.

Not only was the fact that her own weapon had just fallen at her out of nowhere and she had caught it surprising and confusing, but the fact that a swirl of wind and snow had started up and a familiar growl was heard a moment after.

Swinging around, she looked just in time to see a large white Beowolf just about on her. Slicing elegantly at it with her sword, she sliced its head right off, and it faded quickly away.

Before she knew it, several of the same Grimm, white and snowy looking, had appeared, circling her and snarling furiously. The all charged her at once, and Weiss' instincts kicked in immediately.

She formed several glyphs all in a row in front of her, gliding along them as they amplified her speed, and then she formed another glyph behind the first Grimm in her path. She leaped at it, landed on the glyph, and then shot herself back from it, stabbing the Beowolf through before quickly dispatching the rest of the surrounding ones.

The dial on her sword switched to fire and she swiftly let loose a large wave of fire, disintegrating a few Grimm about to pounce her, and then she made a few more glyphs surrounding the next few coming for her.

Then she ricochet off of those glyphs, stabbing every Beowolf within the perimeter of her trap. When all of those Grimm had disappeared, she sprinted at the next three, her dial switching to ice, and soon those three were frozen and then dead.

She jumped at one that was in front of another, kicked herself off of its head, landed with a stab to the other one's head, and then delt several perfect slices to the back of the one in front of her that she had jumped off of.

Panting, she turned around, wondering if any were in sight. When she saw the glowing blue eyes of one farther away than to be fought off right away, she quickly stabbed her Myrtenaster into the ground, a massive white summoning glyph forming in front of her. She concentrated, and faster than last time, Arma Gigas appeared, nice and large with his sword out.

He charged at the Grimm farther out and smashed it instantly with his large sword. The next few smaller white Grimm that raced for Weiss were immediately destroyed by Arma Giga's sword, and then, there were none.

Smiling, Weiss stood up straight with smug satisfaction. Then she saw another Grimm appear over yonder. But it was not a simple Beowolf or Ursa. It was something larger, more dangerous looking.

Looking harder as it approached her, Weiss' eyes widened when she saw that it indeed was a Beringle. Large, glowing white, and terrifyingly glorious, it stood on its feet and towered over her, its hands crunched into fists.

Weiss took a deep breath, washed over her training again, and then began the difficult task of controlling both Arma Gigas in full battle, and fighting as hard as she could herself. She had done it before, but with less effort.

She formed a few glyphs and used them to jump up onto her summoned ally's sword while he swung it, riding on it and then aiming a leaping elegantly from the swiftly moving sword onto a new glyph behind the Beringle's head. She shot herself off of it and stabbed her sword perfectly into its neck.

However, the hulking Grimm had an armor-like plating mostly covering its neck, and Myrtenaster didn't do much damage with that well aimed attack. Making another glyph below herself, she sprung herself off of its neck and landed in some back handsprings.

Arma Gigas began slicing wild, heavy hits at the Beringle, who seemed to possess some kind of intelligence to block some of the many attacks being unleashed on it. While the Grimm was busy with the large white glowing knight, Weiss had formed several glyphs in a long line upwards and was now flying up them.

Once she had reached the top of her little "tower" of glyphs, she turned around, the dial of her sword on white and now glowing, she shot herself down at an insane speed, allowing Arma Gigas to throw his sword at the Beringle's feet, tripping it, and giving Weiss the perfect angel for her to shoot through its stomach and onto the ground below, perfectly.

The whole thing disintegrated in midair, and then seemed to shatter on the floor behind her, much like White Armor had when she had first defeated him. Panting heavily, she looked up and around herself, feeling refreshed to some extent, and also tired. The cold weather was forgotten during the fight, and now her cheeks flamed.

She looked happily at her sword and smiled. She felt satisfied and accomplished. She had just completed her training for today and won. She had beaten all of Winter's Grimm and-

Wait, _Winter's _Grimm?! But Winter wasn't here, and she wasn't training. What then, had just happened. What in Remnant had just happened.

Weiss turned around, looking at the once again empty balcony. Had she been dreaming or something? No, because she felt her heart racing and and exhaustion from the fight still fresh on her. The memories were too vivid to be dreamed, too.

Looking at the mild fog that had somehow formed at the end of the balcony, she squinted, thinking she saw something. It was somewhat like a shadow, or a silhouette? No, it was more like the shape of a person.

_How could those Grimm have appeared without being summoned? Those were clearly summoned, but I didn't summon those. Only one person could have, and that's-_

Just as soon as her thoughts were confirmed, the figure leaped out at her in a unique, specific way that she was very familiar with. The next thing she knew, she had clashed swords with and was now locked with Winter.

She looked up, shocked, into the slightly darker eyes of her sister, who was bearing down on her with her cutlass.

"W-Winter?!" Weiss stammered, "B-but how?"

Winter just gave her a stern, but eager grin, and then she let Weiss off of her sword and began slashing skillfully at her. Weiss struggled to block and dodge the blows, but did so successfully. Well, at least she _mostly _did. One well placed slice from her elder sister sent her flying backwards.

But Weiss quickly recovered with a glyph and then launched at her, trapping her in her little trap of glyphs as she ricochet off of all of them and attacked her sister with rapid hits and slices.

Winter deflected some, was hit by few, and dodged one or two. Once final, built-up attack from Weiss was unleashed, and Winter took advantage of it. She held up her cutlass right in front of Weiss' oncoming face, which smashed painfully into it.

Weiss was sprung back from a roundhouse kick dealt by her sister, joined by a swift slice, accompanied with ice dust. She landed roughly on her back, scraping the ground, and then flipped back up to her feet, only to be met by a flurry of attacks.

Her dial switched to lightning dust and she used it to make a time dilation glyph, allowing her to speedily block and then make a slick counter to a sly slice from Winter. Winter was knocked back with decent force, but she recovered with back handsprings and made a few speed glyphs.

Speeding towards her younger sister with her sword pointed at her, she unleashed a powerful strike, knocking Weiss back despite her sword up to block it. Weiss skidded backwards on her feet, her heels leaving marks on the floor, and looked up to see her older sister hurling at her again.

The two of them fought on, the sounds of swords clanging, glyphs being formed, and the constant grunts and shouts produced by the two competitors the only things being heard. Then, realizing that she was loosing, Weiss used a glyph to shoot herself backwards, giving her enough time and space to quickly summon her massive white knight.

Arma Gigas immediately began attacking Winter, who dodged every attack he threw at her, but was quickly hit by Weiss, who had sliced at her while she had been busy with her spawn. Winter quickly changed gears and split her cutlass into two, dueling her fighting.

Then she had to fight off both Weiss _and _Arma Gigas. It certainly wasn't the easiest thing to do, but she had faced worse before and won. A minute after she began fighting the two of them, seeming to be loosing, she quickly drew herself back and summoned her own spawn.

A single King Taijitsu. It didn't have its second snake, just the one, but it wrapped itself tightly around Arma Gigas, and the two summons began a fight of their own, neither winning in particular. Winter and Weiss resumed their one-on-one battle.

It wasn't until Weiss felt her strength depleting and knew that her aura was bound to be running low that she decided to finish this fight. She'd either win or loose, and she guessed it was the latter. But she would try. Winter hated sore losers, especially if it was her own little sister.

Closing her eyes, she allowed Winter to strike her, throwing her roughly onto her back. But instead of getting back up and fighting back, she lay there with her eyes closed, as if she had been knocked out. She allowed herself to pant freely, as she wanted to.

Winter halted her attack and stopped, looked at her sister, and the slowly began walking towards where she lay, the large white snake and the large white knight battling fiercely behind her. When her heels were mere inches away from her sister's arm, she looked down at her face, frowning.

"Weiss Schnee," she began with that scolding, sisterly tone, "If it took you this long to summon and get a taste of the level of combat I've had to go through, I wouldn't expected you to at least get me down to my knees _once_. And now you've been so easily defeated. Shameful."

She shook her head with disappointment, and Weiss had to keep herself from grinning as her plan ran itself through her head one more time. Mentally ordering her summon what to do, her eyes flashed open as a glyph appeared under her, sliding her away from her sister in a blur.

Just as Weiss had sped away, still laying down, the massive blade of Arma Gigas' sword smashed into the ground where she had been, causing Winter to jumped backwards, ending with a back handspring. Gritting her teeth, Winter turned to see Weiss leap at her from a glyph.

Winter deflected Weiss' blow, but received a numbing kick to her cheek with Weiss' heal, which hurt more than she had remembered a heel hurting. She stepped backwards and spun around, slicing at Weiss, who was no longer there.

Arma Gigas smashed his sword at her, she jumped onto the blade, and then, as the massive knight swung his sword swiftly at the side of the building, jumped off. But the moment her feet left the blade's surface, Weiss crashed into her, intentionally.

The two of them fell to the concrete, and Weiss quickly rolled over and threw another attack at her sister. Winter dodged it by rolling over as well and then jumped to her feet, pulling out her single cutlass. Her other one had been tossed aside when Weiss had smashed into her.

After some more brief attacks, dodges, counters, and blocks, Arma Gigas finally brought his sword down hard on Winter, forcing her to her back, and then, with one more smash, Winter's aura flashed down and she went temporarily limp.

Weiss could hardly believe it. She had won! She had beat Winter! And she was a whole few years younger!

"Yes!" Weiss squeaked, "I finally beat you! I finally beat Winter, after all this time. Oh my gosh, and can't believe it!" She hopped happily on her feet as Winter's eyes flickered open and her stern expression softened to one of love and sisterhood.

"Congratulations, sister," she said, standing slowly to her feet, "You have finally managed to claim victory from me. Well done."

Weiss looked ready to explode with news, excitement, and overall happiness. But through it all, one thing physically happened, something that she hadn't done in front of her sister since before Beacon.

She cried.

She broke into tears and threw her arms around her sister, wrapping her tightly into a hug. She sobbed continuously, burying her face into her shoulder and squeezing her with all the strength she had. Winter hugged back with a light, loving hug, her face portraying the emotion gently.

"So what are you doing here?!" Weiss asked, her voice in mid transition from her previously strong emotion, "I thought you were in-"

"Father told me that you had returned back home," Winter answered back immediately, cutting into her sister's unfinished question, "He said that you had come on accord of your own free will, admitting that he had been right to say and do what he did, and that you had been wrong in spitting off of him and following me."

Her expression looked stern again, regal and disciplined. But it was just so...Winter, and Weiss could only lightly smile as she spoke.

"Yeah, so, about that..," she began, "I'm sure you know why I'm _actually _here. And because no one is currently around us or in earshot, I'll just tell you that me and my team, along with some others, are on an important mission."

"And what does this mission consist of?" Winter asked, raising a brow.

"Well...stuff that I'm sure you have no awareness of, whatsoever," Weiss answered, putting her hands behind her back and shifting her weight to each leg nervously, "I mean, unless General Ironwood told you about all of it, but I seriously doubt it."

Winter looked both intrigued and suspicious.

"General Ironwood has told me many things, but none of them have ever been of particularly secretive matters. Most of them have been commands, orders. Subjects concerning our military and the fact that we are on the brink of a war. But he has never given me a reason not to trust him, if that is what you are implying."

"No, no. I trust him a lot more than some other people I know. I just know that he probably knows what me and the others are trying to accomplish. Well, what we are trying to protect everyone against."

Winter looked even more curious and suspicious.

"And _what_, exactly, are we up against?" she asked, putting some pressure on Weiss.

Weiss shrugged.

"I don't think I should tell you," she said, wondering if it had been a stupid thing to say, or the right thing to say, "Even though I love, trust, and look up to you more than almost anyone else I know, I don't think I should. It's just that clandestine, I guess."

Winter sighed and looked down. She was debating whether or not to continue seeking the answer she wanted, or to let it alone. She decided on the latter. Nodding her head, she answered,

"Alright then. Although it is not much of my interest to leave such a matter uncovered, I will let it pass."

Weiss breath a sigh a relief. Glancing around, she felt the excitement of what she had learned run through her. Taking in a deep breath, she opened her mouth to blurt out everything she wanted to.

* * *

**Wow, that Weiss fight really might have been WAY too long and/or detailed. Sorry about that if it was; I got a bit carried away while writing it. Just to let you know, the fact that these last 3 chapters have been coming out closer together is not something that will last. It just so happens to be what's happening right now.**

**Thanks to cbustroyer and Firewyrm2 for their feedback and ****such, Combine117 for the reminder to post these left-aligned, and all of you who have been reading this and supporting me.**

**Thank you for reading and tune in for more chapters!**


	18. Help!

Ruby awoke to pure silence, other than the sound of the fan running in the corner and what sounded like faint but audible voices from the window. Sitting up, she looked through the glass pane by her bed, the sunlight temporarily blinding her.

She saw team ORNJ, Blake, Qrow, and Yang all walking together in the distance, just in view of her window. Jaune was leading them, walking up in the very front, and Oscar was right behind him, talking to him. They all had their combat clothes back on, and their weapons could be seen on them.

They had left, without her. Why hadn't they tried to get her and have her get ready to go? How and why would they just leave her behind without at least waking her up or something? Confused and still tired, she yawned and quickly slid out of bed, hurrying to find her clothes and weapon.

But then a thought slid into her head, making her stop and think for a moment.

_Do you really need to go? Do they really need you for this? After all, you only made the plan and helped carry it out a little. They have Uncle Qrow and Ozpin in case things get messy; I won't be much of a help. And besides, I'm so tired..._

She mumbled something aloud from her jumbled thoughts, and then looked at herself in the mirror. She was half disgusted, half about to laugh, and half happy at the reflection she saw in the shiny glass.

Her black and red hair was a fuzzed mess, spiky locks sticking out here and there with a large portion of it all swept to the wrong side. Some of it was in her face, while some of it was sticking upwards. It looked a little nice in some ways, but overall, it looked funny to her.

Her tight black "pajamas" outlined every curve and bump on her body, but the most striking thing it did was highlight how pregnant she looked. Even though she was just about to reach her fourth month, her smooth, round belly stuck out to a noticeable visibility. Sure, it was the same size when she had looked at it uncovered, but there was something about wearing clothes over it and still seeing it...

Another light flutter of movement and Ruby was sitting on the floor, laughing. It had tickled, but not nearly enough to make her laugh. She was just laughing because she looked like a pregnant woman in the mirror, her friends had left without her for an important mission, and she was alone at Maria's house.

Or was she? Wasn't Maria still home? She surely hadn't gone with them on that mission; she hadn't seen her with the others, and the chances of her being anywhere else were slim. Or were they? That old woman could be shopping, for all she knew. The only way to find out would be to find out.

Slipping her large, loose red shirt on again, frowning at its ugliness, she exited her room, tiptoed down the stairs, and then carefully sneaked into the living room, relieved every time she only heard silence.

To her mild disappointment, she saw Maria, snoring loudly while rocking lightly in her rocking chair by the crackling, warm fireplace. Her hands rested on the sides of the chair, and she was very clearly in a deep sleep. Other than her, though, Ruby must be alone. There was no one else to occupy this house.

Sighing silently, she snook carefully back to the stairs, paused, and then decided instead to go into the kitchen. It was clean and empty, with no remaining traces of lunch. That didn't help because her stomach rumbled loudly as she set eyes on a colorful bowl of fruit that sat decoratively on the table.

Walking over to it, she reached over and grabbed a banana, smiling as she unpeeled it and saw the familiar pale yellowish color of the fruit inside. She held the banana up to her face to take a bite, sinking her teeth into the banana and savoring its sweet, mellow flavor.

But after she chewed it for a moment, the texture and thought of its mashed contents in her mouth nauseated her stomach. It was always like that when she at bananas, but her nearly absent morning sickness amplified it.

Hurrying as quietly as she could to the sink, she half spit, half gagged the chewed up banana from her mouth, trying not to breath in the scent of what she had just spit out. She didn't even open her eyes until she had took a step away from the sink, not wishing to see the unpleasant sight, either.

Taking a few controlled, quiet breaths, she glanced towards the half visible Maria, still sleeping and snoring soundly in her chair. Ruby breath a sigh of relied and then carefully opened the fridge.

_I wonder if she has any watermelon..._

The unsightly appearance and odor of a smoked, uncooked fish in an opened package greeted her, making her stomach flip and causing her to slam the refrigerator shut, rush towards the back door, and then burst out, the door slamming behind her.

She fell to her hands and knees, the coldness of the snow slowly ebbing away at whatever skin touched it. Despite the air being cold and numbing, Ruby took in deep gasps of it, relief flooding her as the frigid air seemed to cool her irritated stomach. Her breath puffed out in front of her in a large white cloud as she panted.

When the feeling and memory of the smoked fish and the banana had subsided, Ruby sighed and then stood up, hoping that Maria had not woken up from the sudden noise and had seen her doing that.

Maria could have found out...that, or could have decided that Ruby was actually ill and force some revolting tonic down her throat or something. Nice old people did those kinds of things, right? Not that they were wrong in that, it was just annoying for the kids...Dad was a lot like that.

The thought of Tai made a warm tear run down her cheek. Even though she hadn't missed him much when she had left his last, only a quick note to bid him goodbye, she missed him dearly now, longing to see his face and hug him. He was such a great dad, even if she didn't care to admit it.

Yang probably felt that way too, even though she herself hadn't exactly expressed any extreme gratitude to him. And she knew that Tai knew that they loved and appreciated him. Any father could tell that, whether his children said so or not.

Sighing again, she realized that she had shed more tears. So she sniffed, wiped them away, and then looked towards the crashing and roaring river in view of the backyard. Maria's backyard was long and stretched back to a bunch of rocks that separated her yard from another's. Next to that line of rocks was the river, the sounds relaxing and audible.

Ruby, ignoring the chilly weather that was beginning to annoy her, walked towards it, climbing awkwardly over the rocks, avoiding the neighbor's yard, and then was soon standing right beside the river.

The river roared and crashed its waves on other ones, creating a loop of crashing waves that were all carried by the furious, rushing current. Every splashing wave frothed at the ends and corners, creating a foam that either moved and settled on the sides, or was destroyed by the rest of the river.

The roar of the river drowned out all other noise, and it was so loud that when Ruby said something out loud, she could barely hear herself. There was something relaxing about standing there in the heavy sound of the rushing water. Like she was safe and secure here, and no one could hear her or tell her no about being here.

It was as if the loud noises being produced by the water served as some kind of veil, covering her from the views and worries of the others, letting Ruby stand there in peace. The weather was cold, though, and she knew that she shouldn't be so cold. So she told herself sternly that she would leave in a minute or two.

Watching the white, rushing water crash together and hearing its sounds was so comforting, and every time a particularly large rush of water collided with one only a little smaller, it would send a spray of water droplets to one side of the bank, depending on the size and location of it.

Even though the little droplets stung and felt like ice on her skin and thin clothes, she liked it. It was a fun little feeling, sending goosebumps up her skin and making her shiver. Her bare feet were beginning to numb some now, as were her hands that had been previously touching the snow.

Smiling at the river, she turned around and took a few steps forward, ready to head back to the house and maybe take another nap. No, maybe she'd call Weiss and tell her that the others were on their way to get the Relic...without her.

A bright twinkling caught the corner of her eyes, coming from the corner of the bank she had been standing on. Turning around again, she saw that another crash of water had caused a loose rock to stir, revealing a small crevasse. The shine came from there.

Curious, she approached it, kneeling down on a larger, more sturdy rock that was planted firmly next to the looser one. Lowering her head to see closer into the crevasse, she could feel droplets of water splash onto her face. The bright twinkle appeared to be sunlight glinting off of a shiny metal surface, something like the blade of a sword or something.

Slowly reaching her hand out, she poked her finger into the little crack thing, the tip of her nail barely scratching its surface. It was defiantly metal, and the barely visible dark blue marking-like thing etched on its side told her that it was likely a huntsman weapon. What other kind of sword had a symbol or marking on it, colored?

Grunting in frustration, she drew her fist back and brought it roughly forward, smashing it into the rock. An unwelcome pain in her knuckles was the end result, without a dent or a crack by the crevasse.

Shaking her head, she told herself that it was dumb to sit so unbalanced on a rock that was sticking right over a roaring river, trying to grab some sort of weapon out of a tiny crevasse that even her pinkie could't fit in. So she stood up and turned around, ready to go back.

"Ruby Rose!"

Ruby screamed in fear as Maria's stern voice shouted out from the back porch. Jumping with startlement, her wet, bare feet slipped on the semi-wet rock she was standing on, she fell forward, her feet slipping behind her. Then the next thing she knew, her legs were all in the freezing cold water and she was hanging onto the bank with her hands.

The river pulled violently at her, and her hands were also wet from when the snow had melted on them. They began to slip only moments after she had fallen, and she knew she'd be in the river at any second.

Her heart pounded in her chest, so loudly she could hear it above the crazy noise of the water, and fear, panic, and horror raced through her as her fingers slid from the rock she was clinging on.

All she could think to do before she knew she'd be pulled away was scream. She locked eyes, terrified, with Maria, took a deep breath and then screamed out as loud as she could,

"HELP!"

The moment the word was out of her mouth, the current yanked her in, her chin smashed into the end of the rock she was holding, and then she was completely immersed in the icy, numbing water. The sounds of water rushing by, underwater, filled her ears, and she began to immediately numb.

The current sent her everywhere as she got caught by various waves, tossing her around underneath the water's surface and banging her on some of the rocks jutting out from the ground and the sides. It hurt, but the pain was a cold, mellow sting, fading as she numbed more and more.

Thoughts raced through her head, vague, pointless thoughts that blew around chaotically in her mind as panic seized her completely. Images of Jaune, of Oscar, of the dead baby girl in her dream all flashed through along with the thoughts racing through her head, and before long, she didn't know where she was or what was happening.

Everything was an insane flurry of cold, numb, pain, and sleepiness. Bubbles, rushing water, the few times her head broke through the surface of the water, the shouting of someone or something, maybe even herself...

Her eyes flashing open, she told herself, through the haze, that she needed to swim. Somehow push against the current and go _up_. So she began tirelessly swimming upwards, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Exhaustion quickly began to overtake her, but she pushed on, anyway.

* * *

"That was when I realized that northern screech owls got their name for a reason," Oscar said, finishing his short little story, "That thing almost made my ears bleed the moment I woke up!"

The group, minus Jaune, laughed, and even Qrow smirked.

"Nah, I've had worse," Qrow said, sliding his hands into his pockets, "And I can tell you kids that a _sword _in your ear isn't much more pleasant. And it didn't _almost _make my ear bleed; it _did_ make it bleed, and it was pretty bad."

"Oof, Qrow," Yang said, wincing with her teeth gritted, "That's almost as gruesome as the time Dad got impaled on a bush."

The group stared at Yang, some doubtful, some surprised, and some horrified.

"Wait, what?" Nora exploded, zipping next to Yang and leaving Ren behind, alone. Yang nodded seriously, a grin on her face. She pulled her hair all onto her shoulder and pet it while she spoke.

"Yeah, Qrow told me that back in Beacon, his team went on their yearly mission, and while they were fighting a giant Grimm, it hit my dad and threw him backwards, impaling him perfectly on a bush. And boy, was team STRQ popular when they got back. Dad was bleeding so badly, I heard they had to empty an entire trash bin of bloody bandages!"

"Ew, Yang!" Jaune said, despite his glumness. He had a soft stomach, and hearing revolting details like trash bins full of bloody bandages made his mind think of them, and then got his stomach churning.

Yang laughed. "Sorry, Vomit Boy."

Jaune rolled his eyes and the group all laughed together. The mood was fairly happy at the moment, and they had left the house about 7 minuets ago. They all had Ruby in their minds, hoping that she was alright. Leaving her behind hadn't felt very right, but they had done it anyway. Besides, there was no need in bring a sick person with them on this.

"Hey Jaune," Blake began, a question that had been lingering in her mind finally being vocalized, "When we get there, are we going to-"

Her question was interrupted by multiple frantic calls coming from behind them. They stopped and turned around, confused, only to find Maria running fitfully after them, waving her arms and shouting at them to come and help.

"What's the matter?" Qrow called back, jogging over to the old woman, "What's wrong?"

Maria smacked Qrow on the head with her cane while she panted for breath, panicked as all get out.

"Ruby's in the river!" she gasped, "I can't grab her, what with my age and back, and you all need to save her before it's too late! She's in the river and she's being carried off! You need to get there right away!"

Qrow's eyes widened and fear immediately filled him. Without a single trace of hesitance, he leaped into the air and transformed into a crow, flapping away as fast as he could in a flurry of black feathers.

"Ruby!" Oscar and Yang shouted in unison, racing off and following Qrow, who was almost out of sight already.

Jaune just stood there, surprised, with Nora, Ren, and Blake alongside him. They all looked at each other, wide-eyed, confused and shocked. Why in Remnant had Ruby even been so close to the river in the first place, especially if she was so sick?!

"C'mon!" Nora suddenly yelled, breaking into action, "What are we waiting for?! Let's save Ruby!"

The four of them rushed off, the others somehow barely visible anymore, towards the house.

Meanwhile, Yang had been shooting herself forward with her gauntlets, jumping up high, shooting, and then running along the thick tree branches from the many trees that grew along the river. Oscar had engaged a speed semblance from one of his past reincarnates, and was now slightly ahead of Yang, who was more above than below.

As Oscar sped down the river bank, one thought went through his head.

_Save Ruby, save Ruby, save..._

He skidded to a halt, nearly throwing himself off his feet when he saw her head bob above the surface of the water. Her hair looked entirely black, soaked through with water and plastered to her face, head, and the back of her neck. Her large, silver eyes were wide with fear, and her big red shirt wavered all around her.

Waisting no time, he leaped into the river, surprised at how frigid the water really was as it seeped into his coat and filled him with cold. It was only a little while after he began swimming franticly after her that he began to numb, and fear gripped him.

Summoning another semblance, he used his strength to push himself down to the river bottom and then began using the semblance to run swiftly along it, a trail of green following. He needed to get below her so he could shoot himself up, grab her, and then escape the raging water.

Letting go of his current semblance, he grabbed another, a blistering heat erupting from his hands, now glowing green, and warmed his whole body to a very high temperature, driving out all numbness.

He looked up, his eyes flashing green as another semblance was put to use for vision, and he caught of glimpse of her black form, the red shirt catching on a sharp rock close by her. She was stuck, below the surface, from her huge shirt.

Oscar, who had begun being tossed around again from the river, summoned _another _semblance, boosting himself upwards with huge momentum. He caught her in his arms and yanked her up with him, ripping the shirt and causing a gaping hole in it.

When both their heads popped up above the surface, the strong current had them under again, just as they had gasped a short breath of air. Ruby's largely ripped shirt floated off of her, and now the redness of it was no longer blocking her vision. It also made it a bit harder for Oscar to see her.

But he held her tightly, and she clung franticly to him, afraid to let go and not wanting to. She felt safe in his grip, in spite of all of the insanity happening at the moment. She was numb, aching, and only semiconscious, but still, she clung to him. She could feel the warmth of his body, and it was so nice...

Oscar felt Ruby's grip on him loosen and knew that she had lost consciousness. He clung to her even tighter as he fought for a way to get out of the river and onto the bank. He heard some shooting sounds, and when he finally got to get another breath, he briefly saw Yang in the trees above, looking down at them and in a hurry to get them out.

"Help us..!" Oscar shouted as his head went in and out of air, "Get out...of the...water! I-I'm stuck...Current's pulling us...under!"

He was sucked underwater again, just when he had been gulping in more air. So instead of getting a nice hasty gulp of air, he got a nice hasty gulp of water. Coughing hard, he watched a cloud of bubbles leave his mouth, and he knew he had just messed up terribly.

He was almost numb now again, and he had no idea if he was even holding Ruby anymore. Looking down again, he saw that his arm seemed to be woodenly holding her, stiff in place and holding her there.

_Works for me!_

Hardly able to move and loosing hope quickly, a final burst of adrenaline and the force of one more semblance sent him flying through the surface of the water. He free-fell for a moment and then crashed hard on the ground in a wet puddle.

Forcing himself to sit up, he burst into a terrible fit of coughing, and then he saw Ruby laying on the ground right next to him, eyes shut. He snatched her into his arms and immediately did mouth-to-mouth, closing his eyes and trying so hard to help her breath.

After a few short moments, she began to cough, but her eyes remained closed, and she was still in his arms, other than her chest moving up and down faster that he liked. But she was breathing.

The cold, chilly wind blowing hit him, and he began to instantly shiver. He couldn't stop himself from shaking so hard, and he just sat there with Ruby held tightly in his arms. He saw her bump, so round and perfect, and instinctively placed his hand on it, surprised to feel several lively movements.

For whatever reason, her stomach in particular was actually _warm_, and as their baby moved around, Oscar felt himself feel overcome with love, love for the baby and love for Ruby. Smiling widely, she began kissing Ruby's head over and over, hot tears spilling down his cheeks and dripping onto her hair.

Then he heard Yang land on the ground in front of him, panting. Her eyes were closed and sweat was dripping down her face as she wiped at it with her arm. She stood there for a little while, eyes closed as she caught her breath, and loaded Ember Celica with a punch of her fists.

Before she looked at her younger sister and Oscar, she turned around, hearing the others' hurried footsteps. Qrow was _with _them now, as if he hadn't left early at all. He had seen Yang trying to follow them and had seen that Oscar was just about there.

Turning back into a person midair, he had helped heave Oscar and Ruby up when they had launched through the surface of the river. Then he had turned back into a bird and flown over to the almost-there group.

The whole scene had only lasted a few short minutest, and by the time the others reached them, they were relieved to see their teammate and friends safe and sound on the bank, out of the water and alive. Jaune stood in front of them, blocking some of their view of the scene close up.

Jaune was also relieved to see that Ruby was now out of the water and breathing. He was even a little happy that Oscar had made it out too, and was grateful from his saving Ruby, despite how angry he was at him at present.

"Ruby!" he said, rushing over to them, "Ruby, are you okay? Oscar, is she okay? Is she hurt or anything like-"

He stopped abruptly, standing about three feet away from them. He didn't say a word, but just stood there in front of them. Oscar, confused, looked up from Ruby and looked at Jaune, wondering why he had suddenly went silent.

Jaune's face expression confused Oscar at first, but then, a painful, doom filled realization smashed into him, and he blanched, his shivering ceasing and his heart stopping. Then he heart began to drum in his chest, and his face grew unbearably hot.

Jaune stared, wide eyes with shock, at Ruby's visibly larger, rounder, and unmistakably pregnant stomach, with Oscar's hand laying lovingly on it.

* * *

**Ladies and gentlemen boys and girls! The chapter you have all been waiting for has just released for you! Well, maybe the next chapter is really the one you want...I dunno. Ha. If anyone wished I had written a Weiss scene in this chapter, which I didn't, then please let me know either in a PM or a review. I would like to know if anyone here actually really wants those.**

**I've had this chapter ready for about 2 or 3 days now, but between school, work in general, and a couple other things I'm involved in with life, I haven't been able to post it. So thanks for you patience guys!**

**As a reply to FireWyrm2: The statement above is the reason I laughed when I read your most recent review. I agree, I've been putting the whole thing off for quite a while. Thank ya for your feedback, my friend! (they're a guest, so I can't PM them)**

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters!**


	19. Timor, Sarkasmus, and Konran

Jaune stood there, staring at Ruby's rounded stomach.

She was curled up in _Oscar's _arms, _pregnant,_ and Oscar had been _kissing _her...over and over again until he had looked, _terrified_, at him. A million puzzle pieces suddenly flew together in his brain, connected, and then formed a horrifying picture that suddenly made _everything _make sense.

Through the clear picture in his mind, the swirling cloud of emotions still blocked any words from coming to his mouth, and he remained silent, his breath stolen away from surprise.

The others were nearing behind him, clueless as to what chaos was about to occur. They walked up, their footsteps crunching in the relatively shallow snow, and they came to a stop behind him. Yang looked up from where she was standing, finally having caught her breath, only to loose it again.

A short, surprised gasp escaped her lips when she set eyes on the same thing Jaune was, and she froze to her spot, her mind going completely blank.

Blake, Ren, Nora, and Qrow all stopped abruptly as well.

"What are you guys all looking-" Nora began, confused as to why the three others around her had stopped and were now staring ahead, wide eyed at Oscar and Ruby. Her gaze swiveled to the two cold and wet people that the others' eyes were fixed upon and her own eyes went wide.

She finished her outward expression of shock with an ironic, "Oh."

Ruby stirred and mumbled something, and she began to lightly shiver, snapping Oscar's attention to her. Her shivering steadily increased as the seconds passed, and soon she was practically vibrating. Oscar was relieved by this, glad to see her body responding as it should be, and he hugged her tighter, hoping to somehow give her more warmth.

"O-Oscar?" Ruby murmured, her eyes fluttering open, "How-wha?"

She looked up at Oscar's concerned face, his dark brown hair plastered to his forehead and dripping cold water. Then she turned her head and looked at the others, who were standing woodenly in their spots, staring at them.

"W-what's going on?" she asked weakly, looking back at Oscar, "Is everything okay?"

"Is everything okay?" Yang repeated with a serious, mocking laugh, her head bowed with her blond bangs covering her eyes, "_Is everything okay_?! My little sister is _pregnant_, for goodness sake! Of course things aren't okay!"

Her eyes suddenly changed from lavender to red. "And since she obviously didn't get pregnant on purpose," she continued, throwing a bright red glare at Oscar, "Nor would she ever, we all know who's to blame for this."

Her teeth gritted and she stomped forward towards Oscar, loading her gauntlets as she approached. She looked mad, _very _mad, and even Ruby suddenly felt afraid of her older sister. Wincing as she stopped in front of them, Ruby clung to Oscar, weak as she was.

Oscar held her tightly back, unsure as to what exactly was coming for him right now. Yang would probably beat him to shreds; Jaune would probably spit in his face and then give him a second beating; Ren and Nora would probably forever ignore him; Qrow would probably give him a mega-punch into a tree, and Blake...she'd probably say nothing and stay that way, like Ren and Nora.

"Wait!" Ruby cried, holding out her hand, "Yang, you don't understand! This isn't as bad as it looks like; things aren't as wrong as they seem!"

"Seriously?!" Yang exploded, still glaring fiercely at Oscar, "You convinced her that theses kinds of things aren't as bad as she thought they were? As me, Uncle Qrow, and Dad told her how bad they really were? Unbelievable! I'll give you something to be convinced of, you little-"

"Yang!" Qrow shouted suddenly, sternness thick in his raspy voice, "Stop it."

Yang growled and gave Qrow a quick glance before fixing her glare intently on Oscar, her eyes remaining red. Her anger seemed to simmer and hiss inside of her, as if she was inwardly flaming.

"I knew you liked Oscar, Ruby," Jaune said, finally finding his voice and his breath, "But this? I...it's just so...wrong."

"And with Ozpin in your head the whole time," Blake said, looking at Oscar, "That's messed up."

"Ruby," Ren said, looking her in the eyes, "I doubted you would ever do something so careless and wrong, but it is all right here in front of me. And I though you were one of the few innocent ones."

"Who ever said Ruby was the one who did this?!" Yang retorted, whipping her head in Ren's direction and giving him a mean look, "It was Oscar; I know it. Ruby would _never _do something like this on purpose. She never would..."

Yang's eyes turned back to light purple with a single blink as she calmed down a little. Could Ruby have done something like this on purpose? She _was_ getting a little older, and she often did things she ought not to...No, this was too far fetched. It was Oscar's fault. It had to be.

"Then what is it, then?" Qrow asked, his voice low, "If it isn't as bad as it looks, then what is it?"

Ruby swallowed and looked up at Oscar, her teeth chattering. He shrugged and then Ruby looked back at the others, swallowing again and relieved the memories of when her and Oscar had been captured and then had-

_Oh gosh, no! That sounds really bad...not exactly the best cover-up or __excuse! Who else would randomly do that when they're dying? We weren't even exactly in love at the time! _

Now shaking from the cold and from nervousness and embarrassment, Ruby cleared her throat.

"Remember when me and Oscar were captured by Emerald and Mercury?" she began, trying to keep things as steady as possible. Qrow nodded, and the others gave little gestures of remembrance.

"Yeah," Qrow said, his voice still low and eerie, "I busted you kids out of there.

"You guys looked like something the cat brought in," Nora added.

"Yeah," Ruby continued with a nod, "And, um, we were really hurt and sick and all that craziness. Well, before Uncle Qrow rescued us, we were doing really bad...and I mean _really _bad. And we didn't know if we'd make it out alive or how much longer we'd be in there.

"Well, Oscar was still, uh...getting used to his new body and his, erm, new interests, and I'll just be blunt and say that in his hazy, feverish mind, nothing made sense and I wasn't wearing a lot anymore. My clothes were really ripped and cut and stuff."

"Unfortunately, I know exactly what you're talking about," Qrow mumbled.

"So anyway," Ruby continued, relieved at the fact that mostly everyone seemed calm enough and was listening to her story, "While we were in there, Oscar got knocked out by that professor guy...I dunno his name, and after that, he was just kinda in and out.

"I kept trying to keep him warm, and in some ways, he did the same, at least, whenever he was awake and such. Well, eventually things were so bad, we were literally clinging to each other every moment of the day. We were so cold and sick and miserable...it's hard to explain how things went the way they did...

"Oscar somehow seemed to notice my...femininity, and uhm...well, since he was so messed up and not used to liking those kinds of things...well, he was interested."

"So?!" Yang shot back, "That doesn't give him the right to just-"

"Yang!" Qrow's rebuke was even more strict and fierce than before, and it shut Yang's mouth immediately. But a grudge still lingered heavily on her.

Ruby felt her face glowing red, despite how cold she was, and her embarrassment had skyrocketed. Her shaking increased even more and she felt Oscar hold her a little tighter. He looked concerned, more than before, and gave her a look that seemed to say,

_Shall I continue?_

Ruby sighed and nodded, wondering how Oscar would phrase his fogged view and memory of the event. He had been so tired, so feverish, so dead...How could he truly have remembered it well enough, especially since it had been such an odd thing for his confused mind to do at the time.

"After I found out how beautiful she truly was," Oscar said, picking up where Ruby had left off, "A few of Ozpin's memories of...doing _it_ went through my head. The way we were positioned...the way things looked...the way everything was set up...it all made my fevered and injured mind think momentarily that me and Ruby were either married and in bed, or were about to...um, indulge."

Ruby's face heated even more. She slowly turned her head away so it was nearly buried in Oscar's soaked coat, the cold water saturating it cooling her cheeks somewhat. But the heat from her embarrassment still burned.

Yang had opened her mouth and had been about to shout something out, but had held her tongue, thanks to the fact that she knew Qrow might do a little more than scold her if she made another remark out of turn.

"So, that being said and thought," Oscar said, glancing down at Ruby, "I mumbled something about it to her. And since she was old enough to know how...or at least, know of it, we had no problem putting that knowledge to use."

The way Oscar said it so casually and with so little shame made Ruby feel even more shaky. He had been and was terrified of this moment and this explanation, so why and how could he say it so easily? It was as if his entire demeanor had changed in a brief minute.

"And, as you can all see now, that has led to Ruby conceiving a child, which belongs to me and her. No one is going to take it away from us; no one is going to separate us. Kick us out from your mission or group if you want, we're staying together."

His voice began to get more and more emotional and strong, and Ruby felt even more confused. Why was he just now getting so emotional and then claiming that he was going to stay with her forever or whatever?

"Kick me out, she comes with; kick her out, I come with. Kick both of us out, we go together to raise this baby with love and care, somewhere else, even if you won't support or help us."

"Oh, so now you're trying to convince us to let you stay?" Yang answered angrily, "Great! Come on, step right up! Impregnate my little sister, make her fall in love with you, and then get no punishment or consequence as a reward! In fact, you even get to raise an adorable little baby and get married to the girl you got pregnant!"

"Yang, stop it!" Qrow shouted, louder than she had ever heard him shout, "I know you're angry and you don't want to believe that any of this was caused even a little by Ruby, but you need to realize that it takes two to make something like this happen somewhat intentionally."

Ruby felt her child move again, and if almost felt weird.

"Guys, could you _please _stop shouting?" Ruby called, just as Yang had begun to yell back at her uncle, "It's hurting my ears and I don't think it's helping anything!"

She closed her eyes and laid a hand on her stomach, sighing. She was feeling exhausted just from yelling. Oscar lightly combed his fingers through the top of her hair and gently let his face rest against it. His warm breath made Ruby want to smile, but her mouth remained a straight line.

"So what do we do now?" Blake asked, talking for the second time. She herself had been shocked at this, and at the same time, not too unfazed. She was used to the unexpected, and she had been suspecting that something was up with her team leader. It was what was up that was surprising.

"I don't know," Nora said loudly, still energetic, "I mean, I don't see what throwing them out's gonna do."

"We could throw Oscar out," Yang suggested with eager hatred, "Then him _and _Ozpin can get out of our hair!"

Oscar closed his eyes and waited for more people to discuss his doom.

"What about Ruby?" Jaune asked, making Yang grit her teeth and the others stare, "What are we going to do about her? It is partially her fault, and its not like we _need _her for this mission. We've done alright without her before."

"You little-" Yang began, stomping towards him with red eyes again. This time, Qrow grabbed Yang's arm abruptly with his hand and held it tightly, his fingers threatening to press the small button that would disconnect it from the rest of her body.

"I said to stop," Qrow growled. Yang shook her head and then stood up straight, turning away from Jaune. Her eyes were still red, but she stepped away from him and let her anger fume up inside of her. How ignorant Yang could be when she was mad. As to why Qrow was keeping her so tightly in check, they didn't know either.

"I-I want to stay with Oscar," Ruby chirped, her face no longer hidden in Oscar's coat, "So, if you're g-gonna throw him out, you're throwing m-me out, too." Despite how bold she was trying to sound, she looked and sounded like a frightened, wounded animal. Poor thing. And hearing Jaune's comment had shattered her heart.

"Ruby, stop," Yang sighed, looking her little sister in the eyes, "It's fine. We're not blaming you or anything-"

"No, Yang!" Ruby protested, "If Oscar's leaving, then I'm coming with."

The group all looked at each other, exchanging glances and wondering what on Remnant to do. Things were all so confusing, and none of them knew whether or not to throw Oscar out, let him stay but no longer allow him near Ruby, to to let things resume back to normal...somehow.

"Well, one things for sure," Nora said, her ever-present energy and determination not at all hidden in the confused and glum atmosphere, "Ruby's our friend and team RWBY's leader. She's also kinda all of us' leader."

She cast a glance at Qrow and the speck of Maria walking towards them in the distance, barely visible on the horizon.

"Well, most of us, anyway...We aren't getting rid of her, and since she said that she's gonna stay with Oscar, whether we banish him or not, then I guess that means he's staying too. There really is no reason to get rid of him, anyway. What else crazy would happen if he stayed, anyway?"

"Banish is a bit of a strong word..," Ren began, lightly rolling his eyes at Nora's silly glare, "But Nora is right. Getting rid of Oscar, and I suppose Ozpin, too, wouldn't do any of us any good, in fact, we would be loosing some. Oscar has Ozpin's skill and memories. How are we going to find the Relics if we have no idea where they are?"

The group fell silent.

"You all knew that, right?" Nora asked, putting her hand on her hip.

"Well, yeah," Jaune said, "But we didn't think about it much until you just mentioned it...Sorry."

"Well I think we shouldn't let Oscar anywhere _near _Ruby for the rest of the mission," Yang said roughly, "He'd still be here, so technically, Ruby, you two wouldn't exactly be separate. Then you guys can have a consequence for doing that by not being able to converse and all that."

"But...why?" Ruby asked, tears springing up in her eyes, "Isn't this consequence enough?"

"Ruby," Yang answered, "You don't understand. Since you two are staying with us, you're getting food and water and all that from us. And eventually, you're going to need to settle down somewhere when your belly turns into a balloon."

She pointed her finger briefly at Ruby's stomach.

"You'd probably go stay with Dad. He's forgiving enough, especially for things involving the life of his daughters."

Qrow looked down momentarily and then quickly looked back up as if nothing had happened. Yang continued to explain to Ruby how if they weren't punished by someone else, they would never learn and such. But then, Qrow heard something.

It was very faint and very distant, but it was a noise that made his huntsman alerts go off. Tensing and looking suspiciously around him, he glanced at the trees surrounding them, Maria's tiny form a while away, the sky, and then the snowy ground. Nobody and nothing could be seen out of place...

Grumbling something under his breath, he approached Yang, feeling his anger at her reasoning return as he neared her.

"Shut your mouth, Yang," he said as he passed her. Yang's mouth didn't shut, but her words stopped and her mouth hung open. Her eyes flickered red for a moment, but remained purple. Qrow stood in front of Oscar and Ruby, his face holding an unreadable expression.

He locked eyes with Ruby; maroon with silver. He bent down, looked down at Ruby's bump, and then back up at her, sighing. He looked more calm now, for some reason, but a touch of anger and shock lingered lightly on him.

"How far through are you," he asked flatly. Ruby swallowed.

"Just about four months," she murmured. Qrow nodded slowly, straightened up, and then cleared his throat.

"You know," he began, "Summer wasn't that big at that time when she was gonna have you. I'd even say she was half the size."

Ruby's eyes widened and she felt her cheeks fire up again. Why had Qrow just changed the subject so abruptly, mention her mother, and then say that she was larger than her mother was at her stage? Her eyes widened.

"Um...what are you suggesting?!" Ruby squeaked, alarmed. Qrow shook his head.

"What does it sound like?" he asked. Ruby closed her eyes and shook her head. Flashbacks of the bus ride here raced through her mind. Yes, she had considered briefly the possibility of twins, but that wasn't going to happen. It couldn't. That would just be crazy.

"No!" Ruby cried, "Just...stop."

Oscar held her a little closer and sighed, a long, shaky sigh.

"Qrow, why are you talking about that right now?" he asked, "Now's not the time."

_Wait, what?! _Ruby mentally shouted, _Were you two discussing my bump size behind my back or something? Did Uncle Qrow know all this time? Is that why he hasn't said anything and has been trying to get Yang to shut up? Oh gosh..._

"Have you known all this time?!" Yang suddenly blurted out, her eyes red yet again, "Was this a part of one of your weird plans or something? What in Remnant is going on here?!"

Qrow gave her a cold stare over his shoulder.

"Yang, I would never do something like that," he answered roughly, "I don't know _what _would lead you to that kind of crazy assumption, but it sure isn't true. I'd also appreciate it if you'd stop spouting off right about now. Don't make me remove your tongue."

Ruby couldn't help but raise a brow at his remark. That was exactly what Winter had told him before she and Qrow had fought in the courtyard at Beacon. It was funny and a little odd that he had brought that up just now. But then again, so were the previous things he had mentioned.

Yang rolled her eyes.

"Ugh. Whatever."

"So...they're staying?" Nora asked, seeming annoyed at everyone's mixed reasoning, "Cuz I don't see a reason for them not to."

"Well, over all, the entire time they've been hiding it," Blake said, one of her cat ears flicking to the side, "They haven't exactly been causing any negative impacts or effects on us. And the same would likely be true even if Ruby hadn't conceived. So, I guess it would be alright."

Ruby smiled lightly, feeling relieved. She head been curious and also afraid of how Blake would react. She hadn't been sure if she would be forgiving or condemning...or if she wouldn't really be anything. Blake was still hard to understand, even after all the time of them knowing each other.

"However," Bake continued, looking down with her cat ears following suit, "This may sound heartless, but just because you were enduring in a horrible circumstance, it doesn't make what you did much better. A deed is a deed, accident or intention, and your deed isn't exactly one of those, 'forget about it' ones."

"Geez, Blake," Yang said, sounding as if she was trying to be less angry, but at the same time retaining it, "You don't have to be so hard-hearted. I know the White Fang was tough, but-"

"We aren't talking about that right now," Blake answered back quickly, cutting her teammate off, "But I guess what I'm trying to say is that what you and Oscar did wasn't okay, even if it was somewhat weird and certainly wasn't intentional. But we aren't going to kick you out or anything because we need you, and you're our friend and leader."

"But what about Oscar?" Jaune asked, giving Oscar a blue glare, "What are we going to do about him? He's more guilty than Ruby, since he was the one who mentioned the idea of doing..._it_. If he hadn't said anything, we wouldn't be like this right now. Everything would be normal and great."

Oscar swallowed.

"Getting rid of me would not be recommended," he answered, trying to keep himself from easily slipping into an Ozpin-like mindset, "Nora told you everything herself, and that was coming from her, not me."

"Sure," Jaune answered, "But we all know how much she adores you. You're-well, you _were_, like a little brother to her before. She's probably just being biased because she's both of you guys' friends."

"And you're not?" Ruby asked quietly in a heart-wrenching voice,. Jaune blinked and stared at her, confused.

"What?"

"You're not my friend?" Ruby repeated, a tear forming in her eye, "If me being Nora's friend makes her decision biased, then does that mean that you're not really my friend?"

"What? No!" Jaune quickly answered, holding his hand out a little, "I just-" He sighed. "I meant that Nora was probably thinking about you two more than about the whole group or whatever. I'm just trying to come up with a good solution for all of us-"

"No you're not," Ruby cut in coldly, "You're just trying to get back at Oscar for liking me, just cuz you wish I liked you."

Nora, Ren, and Blake all looked at Jaune, then back at Ruby, then back at Jaune. The two of them stared at each other, Ruby looking sad and Jaune looking mildly afraid, concerned, and exasperated.

"No, Ruby, I-" Jaune argued back, trying to put Ruby's stressed mind at ease. Of course, Ruby didn't exactly want to believe him, and all she wanted now was to run away with Oscar and disappear forever. She was scared, and when she was scared, she wasn't herself.

Things were going all over the place now, and Yang wasn't exactly taking the pressure and confusion too well. Her eyes turned red, her hair began to glow, and then, as soon as Oscar joined in with Ruby and Jaune's argument, making it even more chaotic and noisy, Yang flipped.

"Oh my gosh!" she yelled, her hair exploding into flames, "Could everyone just _shut up_?! I don't know what's happening anymore! First Qrow mentions twins, then Jaune's talking about kicking Oscar out, then Ruby's talking about Jaune liking her, and then...UGH!"

Yang was moving her arms wildly around as she shouted, her anger clearly portrayed with the volume of her voice and the flames that danced around her as she moved about. The others around her moved themselves a few inches away from her to avoid the heat.

After she finished catching her breath and drinking in the precious, sweet silence that she had earned from her outburst, her eyes switched back to lavender again. She sighed, crossed her arms, set her mouth in a straight line, and then waited.

"Okay, so from what I've been hearing," Qrow said, breaking the silence with his ambient, raspy voice, "Ruby's staying with us, Oscar is staying with us, and we're returning things to normal."

"Yes," Nora answered with a nod. Ren shrugged. Blake sighed and nodded. Yang sighed.

"I dunno, she answered, "I mean, I guess the part about them both being here makes sense, but thing being normal? I don't know if that's gonna happen. Seriously, I'm going to be an _aunt_, and I'm almost 19!"

Jaune looked down, but said nothing.

"Okay, so that's settled," Qrow said, rolling his eyes, "So what about the mission?"

"Well, seeing that we have our leader to the Relic and all the help we need, I think we should be able to carry on without further difficulty," Ren said. Nora nodded in agreement.

"Yeah!" she said, "What he said!"

"But...what about Ruby?" Yang asked, looking at her younger sister.

"What _about _Ruby?" Qrow asked, narrowing his eyes at his blond niece. Yang shrugged and gave an exhasperated sigh.

"I don't know," she said, "I just...ugh, this is all just so wrong and weird and so...just, so bad! I feel like we're doing nothing about the fact that my little sister's gonna have a baby, but at the same time, I don't know _what _we're suppose to do about it. How would be punish them? _Why _would we punish them?"

"What's all this conversation about?" Maria chided them from a few yards away, "It's freezing out here and Ruby's probably have frozen to death by now!"

Maria was hobbling towards them, waving her cane at them in a scolding manner and trying to hurry to the scene. She was looking down, probably trying to watch her footing, wary of tripping and not being able to get up. Her back wasn't doing much better than her eyes nowadays.

"Sorry," Blake said, moving out of the old woman's way, "We're just experiencing a bit of...complication right now."

"Like what?" Maria asked as she approached Ruby and Oscar, "Did you let her drown or something stupid like that?"

She stopped short when she saw Ruby's stomach. She just stood there a few moments before unintentionally mimicking Nora's, "Oh." All Ruby wanted to do was burst out crying. Now Maria knew, and Maria would be _so_ disappointed...

"Well, I think this deserves some nice discussion around the table with some hot cocoa," she finally said, making Yang's hands ball up again from the change in subject, "Come along now, children. Let's hurry this up now."

"Well, I'm afraid we've already pretty much covered the conversation part," Blake said as they all turned to follow Maria. Maria pivoted her head towards Blake with a scowl and waved her cane accusingly at her.

"No, I meant explaining to _me_," she rebuked, "I don't have a clue as to what you kids were discussing about...other than likely fighting about childish matters such as who did what and such."

The group exchanged glances and continued walking.

Oscar sighed and looked down at the girl in his arms, shivering hard as her body furiously sought heat. Then he stood up, picking the poor thing up and gathering her in his arms like a knight to his damsel.

"C'mon, Ruby," he said, not wishing to be left too far behind the others, "Let's go. We need to get you warm before you get hypothermia or pneumonia or something bad like that. I don't want you or the baby getting hurt."

Ruby allowed herself to be carried safely in Oscar's arms, confused as to why and how the group simply followed Maria like that and said nothing. Perhaps it was because they had no idea what else to do or say. But Qrow had her even more confused. The whole event had been nothing but a confused haze for her, and right now, she was numb and cold and very, _very_ tried.

"O-Oscar?" Ruby asked through chattering teeth, "Why d-do you th-think Uncle Q-Qrow talking about t-twins like th-that?"

Oscar didn't look down at her when he replied, but kept his gaze forward at the group. "I dunno, but I hope he's wrong."

A sudden movement behind a tree caught his eyes, and soon after, a few stray leaves from a near-bare tree fell from its stripped branches. Then it was silent again. Confused, now even more tense, and now wary, he continued walking forward, following the others.

A lingering atmosphere of fear, nervousness, and overall uneasiness seemed to hover around both of them, as if they were trapped in a bubble of it or something. It made them both feel uncomfortable, and neither of them wanted to hear what was going to happen next. But they were also a little hopeful, too.

From the majority of the group, it seemed like they were likely staying with them, Now all they needed to fear was that Ruby and the baby were okay, and how the others were going to deal with them after things were decided.

* * *

**Hewf. I really, REALLY hope that this chapter did't disappoint any of you fabulous 61 followers and the guests reading this. Ha, I rewrote this chapter, actually, cuz I made everyone's reactions all, "Oh Ruby, you've betrayed us!" and they were all sad and crying and stuff. Ugh.**

**Brief apology for skipping another Weiss scene. The chapter was getting long and I'm pretty sure nobody cares about that right now at all. The name of this chapter involves three different languages. :P**

**Thank you, guest who posted a review either this morning or last night. It make me extremely happy to read reviews like that. I would PM you, but you can't PM guests, so yeah. Again, thank you, and thank you everyone who's reading this and has left reviews! :D**

**Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more chapters!**


	20. So-You're Pregnant

"So, Ruby," Maria said, pouring steaming hot water into a teacup, "You're pregnant."

The strange calmness in her voice made Ruby very confused. The whole long, grueling walk back to the house, carried by Oscar, had been strange. She had been expecting Maria to smack her with her cane or something or yell at her. But instead, she had lead the others calmly back to the house and set up tea and a snack.

Despite her mixed feelings, she felt _horrible_. She was still shivering uncontrollably, even though the temperature of the house was decently warm. Her whole body was flaming now, burning hot, but inside, she felt frozen. Exhausted dragged at every inch of her, and her inside her stomach she felt an occasional fluttery movement.

Why in Remnant was her baby moving so much?! Qrow's comment about twins echoed in her mind again, making her head spin. That would explain the frequent and early movement. But why had it been so abrupt, then?

"Ruby," Maria said slightly loud, alerting Ruby and jerking her mind back to the present. Everyone was looking at her, and Maria looked like she was starting to frown.

"Huh?" Ruby said, lifting her head up. Oscar glanced at Ruby, worried. She didn't seem quit here at the moment, not to mention she was shaking pretty hard and her cheeks were now a light shade of red. Either she was embarrassed, or her body was trying to warm itself now.

"Are you paying any attention?" Maria asked, cocking her head to the side, "Or are you braindead right now."

"Braindead, I'm thinking," Yang muttered, casting a glance at her younger sister. Qrow looked concerned, looking at Ruby with a questioning look. He really hoped she wasn't about to pass out or something.

"You okay, kiddo?" he asked, "You don't look so hot."

"Oh! Uh, yeah, I'm listening!" Ruby answered quickly with a wide, forced smile, "W-what's up?"

The movement of jerking her head up had made her feel mildly dizzy, and the pulsing heat and heavy exhaustion continued to wear at her. Her eyes felt heavy and threatened to shut...

"So how did it happen?" Maira continued, "Who got you pregnant, why did they, and was it your choice or discretion? And if it's none of the above, then what's the story?" She seemed thoughtful in her questions, but Ruby still felt very unenthused to tell it over again. Plus, she wasn't exactly feeling great...

"Well, uh, you see," she began, trying to look normal enough, "Um, me and Oscar-"

"Long story short," Blake cut in, "Oscar and Ruby were captured, interrogated, tortured, and then locked in a cold dungeon. Oscar was just picking up his adult masculine interests, Ruby was good friends with him, and both were feverish and severely injured. They made a baby, probably freaked out, and then have been hiding for about four months."

The group all stared at Blake, silence thick in the air. Ruby felt grateful and embarrassed. Oscar was just worried as to why Ruby was swaying lightly on her feet with a somewhat absent look on her face. Qrow was deep in thought. Yang nodded an affirmation, and then Ren and Nora also nodded.

"Yep!" Nora said, "That about sums it up."

"Well then," Maria said, setting down the china teapot she was still holding, "What do you all think about it?"

"I'm still considering smashing Oscar's face in," Yang answered, looking at Oscar with a serious and yet almost twinkling expression, "But because Qrow thought it wasn't a good idea, I stayed put."

"Uhm, well..," Nora began quickly, "We all decided _not _to throw them out, and we're all just kinda...gonna keep going. Normal. Like nothing happened."

"But with the exception of Ruby's condition," Ren added, holding up a finger, "Any major exertion, emotional excitement, injury, illness, or any kind of physically demanding activity is not recommended for pregnancy and could result in birth defects or complications with either mother or child."

"Great," Ruby mumbled, looking down at her somewhat blurred boots, "Didn't need to know that."

"Thank you for your concern, Ren," Oscar said, giving the man a grateful nod, "I really appreciate it." Ren nodded back in return, his hands behind his back as usual in long conversations.

"Throw them out?" Maria said, suddenly, as if disgusted, "Why in Remnant would you throw them out?! Seriously, what would that accomplish? It might help punish them, but for _what_?"

More silence.

"Well, I mean," Yang said, "As much likely as it is that I might do something as stupid as that, and possibly that very thing, she's my baby sister. She's too young for something like that, and it's a stupid thing! Stupid things need to come with punishments."

"Well, it's not quite like that," Jaune began, wary of Maria's right grip on her cane, "The fact that she's pregnant counts as a punishment. But you see, we thought that maybe Oscar was just trying to take advantage of the situation and...well, with Ozpin in his head-" He seemed to be searching for something to say, something to convey his mixed emotions.

"Oh," Maria said, a blunt expression on her face, "So you're upset that Ruby isn't into you, aren't you."

Jaune's eyes widened and he looked around, as if trying to gather the others' help, and he looked into the wide blue lenses of Maria's bionic eyes. A million words and thoughts seemed to try to exit his mouth all at once, but none of them passed.

"No, I-" he stammered, "That's not...I didn't man it like that-I just..!"

"I knew it..," Oscar mumbled, looking down, "I knew you just hate me now, just because of Ruby. What kind of stupid reason is that?! You hate Ozpin because he's lied to you, hoping you wouldn't intervene with his elaborate plan to keep us from ruining things further, and then you hate me because you _wish _that Ruby would love you!"

His fists had balled up tightly, his fingers beginning to turn white. His teeth were no gritted, and his anger had begun to boil up furiously inside of him. He was sick and tired of Jaune right now, and he just wanted to plant his fist perfectly into his face. He just wanted the man gone.

"Oscar," Jaune snapped, turning around and facing him, "Stop assuming things like that! I've given up on romance already; you-I mean, _Ozpin _should well know that." The last part of his sentence was spat bitterly out.

Ruby felt nervous, watching those two bicker like that. She especially hated it when they were quarreling about _her_. She lightly lay a hand on her stomach, her whole body starting to feel as if it were fading away. Her baby moved again, and now she was getting very concerned.

"Look, Jaune," Oscar jeered, "If you don't like me so much and you've already given up on romance, why don't you just quit feeling envious of me and Ruby and just leave the whole thing behind? And if you can't handle being around us and seeing us, then why don't you just leave altogether?!"

Jaune's eyes widened, and a tear slid down his cheek. Both deep blue eyes were glittering with tears, and he looked like his heart had just been ripped out of his chest and then treaded upon by a stampede of wild animals.

"Oh dear..," Ren said slowly, his eyes wide as well.

The tension in the air was very high, and nobody wanted to and didn't say anything. They all just stood there, wondering what was going to happen next. Would Jaune attack Oscar? Would Oscar attack Jaune? Would nothing happen? More argument?

Jaune sighed and closed his eyes, a look of heart-wrenching look of pain streaking across his face. Ruby wanted to cry for him right then and there, but her eyes were already half closed and she almost felt numb...but not in the cold way. She felt as if her legs were toothpicks, barely bearing her weight.

"Okay," he said simply, "If none of you think I'm needed here and I'm just...just a burden or something like that...then I'll go. I'll leave and no one has to worry about me anymore."

"That's not what he meant," Blake began, "He just said that if you couldn't handle seeing him and Ruby being together-"

"I know that!" Jaune shouted, jerking his head towards Blake, "I know that. I just needed to know if anyone still wanted me to stay here with you guys. I don't wanna hurt anyone somehow in anyway."

"You'd be hurting me..," Ruby murmured. If the room hadn't been _perfectly _silent, minus the crackling of the fireplace, then her voice wouldn't have been heard, or at least would have been just barely.

Jaune looked slowly behind him, a confused and sorrowful expression on his face.

"What?"

Ruby looked up at him with bleary, sparkling, silver eyes, a tear falling from them. One of her hands remained on her stomach, and the other looked as if it were trying to hold itself out to Jaune in a failed attempt.

"I said that if you left, it would be hurting me," she repeated in another barely audible whisper, "So, please don't go. I care about you, and you're one of my best friends. Seeing you leave would shatter me."

Jaune felt a wave of emotions smash through him, and all he wanted to do was wrap her in a hug. But he knew it would be weird, and then maybe Oscar would try to punch him back for all that Jaune had punched him before. So he stayed there, feeling very mixed up.

"I don't want you to leave, either," Nora chimed in, putting a hand on her hip, "We can't loose another member of team...uh, JNR!"

Ren nodded his agreement.

Maria sighed and shook her head.

"Did he ever say he was actually going to leave?" she asked, looking bored of what was happening, "Or did he say that he was taking a survey of anyone who was against him doing so. Just hurry up and made a decision before Ruby and Oscar catch their death!"

Ruby couldn't agree more. She felt as if she wasn't even present in the room anymore, and the corners of her vision were black, as if she was staring out of a dirty, molded window. She could hear her heat beating and her head pounding as it throbbed...

Maria's head turned slightly past Jaune, her gaze following. Her mouth opened a crack, and she suddenly reached her hand out. "Ruby!"

"Somebody catch her!" Qrow shouted, rushing for her.

Oscar jerked backwards, his arms out and his eyes wide as he saw Ruby fall suddenly backwards. He caught her just in time, standing up straight and looking concerned at her closed eyes. She lay in his arms, limp as wet paper and completely unconscious.

"Goodness, she's fainted," Maria said quickly, hurrying out of her chair and waddling over to the two of them, "Blake, get some more hot water on! Yang, grab me some blankets, and Jaune...please stay here."

Jaune sighed and looked down, worried about his friend, but also feeling emotionally ignorant and tired at the moment. For whatever reason, he didn't really care as much as he usually did, somewhat because he knew that she was probably fine, and that it was probably from all she had just been through.

_Does Oscar really want me to leave? What about Blake, Qrow, and Yang? What do they think? Maybe I should leave...What purpose am I to these people anyway. I'm just that tall, blond, and scraggly guy. _

Qrow was immediately at her side, following Oscar as he carried Ruby up the stairs. Yang, carrying a bundle of blanket, and Maria quickly followed, and soon enough, they were all in Ruby and Nora's room, Ruby laying on her bed and the others gathered around it.

"We'll let her shower once she wakes up," Maria said, "But right now, I'll get her some of my famous tea and medicine, Yang'll get her dressed in some dry clothes, and we'll make sure she's plenty warm. Now move, people, quickly! No frostbite or hypothermia on my watch!"

They all quickly took action, and Yang shooed them all out so she could undress her. When they had all left and Yang was putting a warm pair of her own pajamas on Ruby, she couldn't help but stare a little at her little sister's stomach.

That stomach, that she had tickled so many times as a child, rubbed during cookie-hangovers, punched so many times during training, tended to after fights, and seen whenever the two of them had gotten dressed together, now contained a live baby. It was swollen, rounded, and holding a child.

Yang felt a tear spring up in her eye for some reason, and she was confused as to why. But she simply wiped it quickly away and proceeded to finish with her task. Ruby's skin seemed to radiate with heat, and Yang assumed from that and the drops of sweat forming on her forehead that she had a fever.

"That's what you get for jumping into ice-cold rivers," Yang murmured as she picked her up and lay her back on the bed, "And please don't ever do that again." She hugged her little sister tightly during that last sentence, and the anger of before had melted completely now.

"Just get better soon," she sighed, standing back up and smiling weakly at her. A loud knock on the door a few shouts and demands from Maria and Qrow had her open the door again, and the crowd spilled in once more.

"Wrap her tightly in blankets," Maria instructed, seeing to it that her demands were followed, "Nora, make sure that Blake gets some tea going; some of that stuff I have stored away in that little red box. And quickly, you hear?"

Nora rolled her eyes. "Okay, got it." She raced away to fulfill her job, the door slamming behind her.

After a few rushed minutes of action, yelling, and a whole lot of stress, the room was emptied, and only Ruby and Qrow remained. It was a sudden and abrupt event, coming and going as quickly as the other had occurred.

Ruby was bundled in blankets and laying on the bed, a steaming cup of very strong tea sitting on the dresser beside her. Qrow sat on the chair that Jaune had first been sitting on, looking with worry at his _niece._ He was very concerned, and if anything were to happen to her...

His fingers gripped the arms of the chair tighter at the thought, and he felt his heart pound a little harder and faster. He was tired of loosing people, friends, family, and even people he didn't know. And all of it was always because of his semblance. Always because of him.

_That whole ship crew who tried to arrest me because they thought I was a thief...Ruby almost died more than once...My buddy from Beacon when we went out to meet with some friends...My parents, just because of their selfish desire to flea from bad luck..._

"Summer..," he sighed aloud, not even realizing that he had said that part out of his thoughts. He shook his head, jerking his head from the horrifying memories that had begun to show themselves to him again, every time he heard that precious name.

He looked again at Ruby, feeling his heart aching. If he lost her too, he would have no more reason to live. His whole life would officially be a hopeless, purposeless mess.

* * *

"I completely destroyed a Queen Lancer," Weiss continued proudly, beaming at the memory, "And then, I managed to summon it later when we were fight at Haven Academy."

She and Winter sat in the dining room, tea and pastries set out elegantly on the table. The two sisters sat opposite of each other

She smiled with pride and eagerness. "And now I can summon a lot of things with decent ease. Isn't that great! And after all that practice and such...I can't believe how much use it is, and it's gotten me out of so many difficult situations-"

"You can summon now," Winter cut in, taking a sip from the teacup she held, "How unamusing and underwhelming."

Weiss blinked and didn't say anything, her excitement dying instantly at her sister's scornful words. Confusion, sadness, and anger all mingled together and tried to pop out of her mouth in words somehow, and she finally composed herself enough to talk.

"Wait, what?" she blurted, "B-but I thought you'd be proud! You've been pressuring and nagging me about summoning ever since I'd started training, and now, after like, forever, I've finally got it!"

Winter grinned from behind her cup, and she down at her sister with the same sly smirk.

"Of course I'm proud of you," she said, standing up and stepping over to her sister, "I'm very happy for you." She hugged her younger sister, and Weiss almost felt like crying from it. It was just _so _good to see her again, especially here and at this time.

"But I still think that you should've succeeded in that area of your semblance earlier and hadn't complained so constantly about it," Winter snapped as they unembraced, "It really is not as complicated as you make it sound."

Weiss scratched the back of her head. "Well, um, I guess not. I suppose I was just too used to glyphs."

"You aren't ignoring them altogether now, are you?" Winter asked almost immediately after the words had left Weiss' mouth. Weiss thought for a moment, trying to recall her more recent battles and such.

"I mean, I haven't exactly been laying off of them completely..," Weiss answered tentatively, her mind still swarmed in thought, "I use them plenty of times in combat. You've seen me; I beat you by using an awful lot of them, and it's still my main style of fighting."

"Good," her older sister said with a somewhat relieved sigh, "Often times, I had found that after I mastered summoning, I had taken far too much time training it, despite how much I really needed to. I would regretfully spend that training time during battles I should've have been training on. And that lead to losses I am ashamed to bring up."

Weiss looked down.

"You've...lost before?" she asked timidly, curious. Winter frowned.

"Of course I have, you boob!" she chided, "I'm far from flawless, just as anyone else who walks this land is. Although, I can say that I am far closer to perfection than many who like to think that highly of themselves...like _someone _I know." She locked eyes with Weiss.

"Hey!" Weiss said, annoyed, "I never thought that _I _was perfect...exactly. Just that I was much better than-"

"You acted like a spoiled little princess when you were a child," Winter interrupted, "And even after you grew up you were looking down on those with less or little standards than you. You often forgot who you were and how fortunate you were to have the training you had."

"I suppose..."

"Even still, you have come a long way, advancing during that time. I can tell that every part of you has matured, and it makes me proud to see someone in this family carry on the dignity that our family name deserves."

Weiss felt herself blush, pride and love for her sister bubbling up inside her and making her smile. Winter was the best older sister anyone could ever want; she was just amazing.

"Matured in every part indeed," a smooth male voice said, interrupting the tender moment, "And here I was thinking your chest would always stay flat as a board."

Now the blush in Weiss' cheeks turned a bright crimson as complete and total anger replaced the pride she was feeling. She looked furiously in the direction of the voice and saw Whitley standing at the entrance of the dining room, leaning back against the marble wall.

"Whitley!" she shouted angrily, "Why would you say something like that?! That's just-that's just-"

"Unacceptable?" Whitley finished for her, "Sure. But then again, it _is _the truth."

"You pervert," Winter spat harshly, "It appears you haven't matured in the slightest for the past years I haven't been home or seen you. I'm not surprised either; you were always Father's pet, spoiled and ingrowing..."

"Sister," Whitley said, pretending to look offended, "I am hurt! I cannot believe that someone so sophisticated and controlled as yourself would say such a barbaric and rude thing to their younger brother." He shook his head as if ashamed.

Winter bared her teeth and then sighed, as if cooling herself down.

"Whitely," she said, sounding more formal now, "It has been quite a while since we have last met. And in case you were not alerted, my stay is temporary."

"Oh, what a delight," he said, obviously sarcastic, "How temporarily? A few days? A couple of weeks? Forty years?"

Winter glared at him with her sky blue eyes. "_Very _temporarily," she growled, "And just long enough for me to escape this place without returning to General Ironwood in a coffin."

Whitely uncrossed his arms and stood up straight, taking his back off of the wall and staring hard at his oldest sister. He walked down the four small steps that lead to the dining room floor and approached his siblings, looking much more serious now.

"Why are you here," he said, his words sounding like a cold, controlled demand, "Why not just stay with all of your military friends, away from Father just like you wanted to be."

Weiss was a little surprised at Whitleys assertiveness, seeing as he never seemed to demand things from even her. Standing up to Winter like that had never been in her list of actions most likely to be performed by her brother.

"None of it is of any business to you," Winter answered coldly. Whitely's expression did not change.

"Um, Whitely?" Weiss said, not in the mood for any arguments. That morning had been hard enough, and with the phone call from Ruby and the visit from Winter, the day couldn't take anymore bad turns. It needed to stay a good day.

He turned and looked at his second oldest sister. "What."

"Stop talking to Winter like you're more important than her and leave us alone. We want to spend this time together since we never get to. She's my sister, and sisters need to talk sometimes."

Whitely rolled his eyes again.

"As if me and Father weren't your family," he mumbled, "I'm sure we just _love _the ignorance you two give us so generously. I'll be sure to tell Father."

He turned around and began walking up the four steps, his arms folded behind his back in a formal manner. Weiss looked at Winter, who just stared coldly at the wall, and then looked back at Whitely, who was beginning to walk out of view.

"Wait, tell Father what?" she asked quickly, annoyed at his consistency to falsely snitch on her and Winter. Whitely didn't stop walking, but his voice could be heard fairy close and clear enough to understand.

"That you two are spending time with each other," he called back, his voice echoing through the many halls and rooms connected to where he was, "I'm sure he'll love to hear that you won't let your little brother play with you."

Weiss clenched her teeth and let out a frustrated grunt.

"Ugh," she said, "Whatever. What kind of problem is that for him to even interrupt Father for? It isn't even a problem, anyway."

"Finally that rat is gone," Winter muttered, looking back up at Weiss, "Now where were we?"

Weiss blinked and then shook her head, trying to recall their previous subject before Whitely had so rudely interrupted. And the way he had interrupted...Weiss looked down at herself, wondering if what he had said had been true.

"Weiss," Winter said calmly, "Are you thinking about what Whitely said?"

"What?! Um, no!" Weiss said, jerking her gaze from her bosom back to her sister, "Not at all; who cares about that? I, um, was just making sure that I didn't spill anything on my skirt."

Winter rolled her eyes. "Of course you were," she sighed, "Is this why you haven't pursued any relationships at all? Turned down any man who offered you out or tried to have a relationship with you?"

Weiss felt her cheeks color again.

"What? No! Everyone who _has _pursued me has either been someone who wasn't my type, or a complete dolt." She crossed her arms stubbornly across her chest and looked away.

"And that is every man alive in this world..?" Winter said, raising a brow. Weiss glared at her sister and rolled her eyes. All she could think about was Jaune, and how stupid he had been at Beacon. How pathetic and weak and lame...But now, he was a completely different person.

"There's something on your mind," Winter said, squinting at Weiss, "Are you...thinking about someone?"

Weiss felt herself gasp as if surprised. Winter was always so uptight and seemed to care nothing about these things. So why was she talking about them right now, and with such persistence? Well, persistent for Winter, anyway.

"Well...maybe," she said slowly, "I mean, I mentioned him to you before, but...Well, he's kind of-"

"Unqualified?" Winter finished for her, just as Whitley had earlier, "Yes, I think I understand who you are referencing. Jaune Arc, was it? The 'tall, blond, and scraggly' one you spoke about."

Weiss nodded.

"Yeah..." She sounded ashamed. "Well, thing really changed, like, a _lot_. He's improved a great deal on his combat, and his scraggliness sort of...uhm, reversed?" She looked down momentarily at her plate as if trying to process what she just said and think things through.

"So you've taken an interest in him," Winter stated flatly, sipping more of her tea.

"Well, yes," Weiss answered, "And to be honest, I think it was a _little _sudden. Even to me."

Winter raised a brow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well...It's a little complicated."

"Then explain. According to you, we have quite some time."

Weiss nodded and sighed. "Of course."

She looked into her murky reflection on the surface of her tea and stared into her dim eyes. The dark brown liquid really made her look sad. She took a deep breath and recalled the events that had lead up to her liking Jaune, and she cleared her throat, ready to tell the story.

"It started after our team reunited in Haven," she began, "After I ran away from here and got to Ruby, Yang, Jaune, Nora, and Ren. Now, of course I didn't just _like_ him right then and there. He was still that annoying blond guy who hit on girls like me. But he had really matured since I had last seen him, and well, it grew on me a little.

"I didn't realize how much I really missed him after all those months, but when I finally saw him again, it was strangely wholesome. Sure, it was more heatwarming and wonderful to see Ruby and Yang again. I actually cried and hugged Yang really tightly when I saw her again. I missed her..._so much_. And the same went with the others.

"Well, he was now really my friend, and we were almost like one happy family, working together as huntsmen and huntresses to save Remnant. But at Haven, well, I kind of got...impaled."

Winter's eyes widened a little, but she remained silent. Weiss continued on.

"I don't really remember much during the time, but I got ran through by a spear, and then everything kind of just...faded away. But a few moments later, I could feel someone holding my hand and something hurting really bad on my side. But I also felt strange. I could feel my aura healing me, and it was incredible.

"But when I opened my eyes, I saw that I was glowing. And not just that, but Jaune was kneeling next to me, and his hands were glowing, too. Nora mentioned something about him unlocking his semblance and healing me, but then he said that he was actually using his aura to amplify mine.

"So basically...Jaune saved my life. And right after that, I felt almost as if I owed him something for doing that. But then, of course, I didn't really believe that I needed to give him anything in return, considering that I had technically helped him unlock his semblance. But there was always this thought and feeling of...'He saved my life.'

"So after that, things were pretty normal..but I felt myself feeling a little closer to Jaune sometimes. Nothing radical or anything, but soon enough, I wondered if he liked me anymore, and I almost felt sad if he wouldn't told me that he didn't anymore. He dropped me after Pyrrha, but she's gone now, so...yeah.

"But then the fight in Atlas happened. We were attacked in the air and shot down on the way here, when we first tried to sneak in. And by the way, this part, only me and Jaune know about. Not even Ruby knows about this."

She swallowed and looked intently into her sister's sky blue eyes. So honest and understanding. You could put any information in there and it would stay locked tightly in there until was told otherwise.

"I got hit. Got slammed in the back by a piece of falling metal from one of the ships. I fell to the ground, tried to get up, but passed out in the process. When I woke up, Jaune was doing mouth-to-mouth. At first I thought he was kissing me or some garbage like that, but no. He was just trying to get me to breath again, because apparently, I wasn't before.

"It was a very...interesting moment for me. But after that, I kinda just felt...something for him. It was very sudden, and quite frankly, I've still wondered if I really do actually like him. But I've come to the conclusion that I do, and if anything, it's just a crush. But I felt jealous when I saw him hanging out with Ruby, and that really pushed me to that conclusion."

She sighed and looked back down at her reflection.

Winter nodded her head slowly and seemed to be drinking in what Weiss had just said. The short white portion of her hair that hung in front of the side of her face waved slighting as she nodded.

"Interesting," she said after a long moment of contemplative silence, "It seems you have finally broken almost fully from your shell."

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, confused.

"Well," Winter began, setting down her teacup, "When you first left here, you were salty, short-tempered, sloppy in your fighting, and very ignorant and resistant to anything you did not favor or like to think about pursuing."

"Hey!" Weiss complained. Winter dismissed it briefly with a wave of her hand.

"But look at you now," she continued, "You've advanced on your summoning, your fighting has gotten much neater, you're view on so many things has been altered for the best...the list goes on, really, and-"

A sweet roll of piano music suddenly erupted from Weiss' scroll, which had been tucked away for their little teatime, interrupting Winter's sentence. Weiss quickly grabbed it, ready to dismiss the caller if it was anyone but her team or friends, but it wasn't who she was expecting.

It was from Jaune.

"Um, I should probably answer this," Weiss said quietly, swiping right and holding her scroll up to her ear, "Hello? Jaune, what's the matter? Is it time to go?"

"Weiss," Jaune's voice said, sounding serious and shaky, "It's time to go. Be ready right now."

"Jaune, are you okay?" Weiss said, worried, "You sound kind of sad...is everything alright?"

"Weiss, your leader isn't coming with us; get ready to leave, now."

Weiss blinked, confused and now even more concerned. A cold claw of fear snatched her heart and squeezed it tight, threatening to shred it if Jaune said anything that would cue it to do so.

"Is she okay?!" Weiss blurted, arousing Winter's attention, "Is she-"

"No," Jaune answered, bringing a large sigh of relief from Weiss, "But she isn't coming with us. Now let's go. We're leaving soon."

"Uhm, how soon, exactly?" Weiss asked, confused and very, very worried. If Ruby wasn't dead, then was she injured? If anything at all was going bad with the plan or with Ruby, then she'd explode...Jaune's answer sounded eery as he said it, and he hung up right after, leaving Weiss confused, but in a hurry.

"We're leaving right now."

* * *

**Hey guys, I'm back! I apologize a million times for the late update, but the laptop I've been using to write this was experiencing some complications, so I had a large delay. That, and the balance of school, events, housework, family, and life in general, provided you with this tardy chapter. **

**There you go, Weissaholics. Got you a chapter just FULL of her, as well as the whole White Knight explanation I'm sure some of you have been waiting for. **

**I would like to thank cbustroyer for a few concepts and hints in this chapter related to Jaune. He provided me with a story idea that I have added to my long list of story ideas I will post after I become a legal adult and will no longer write fanfics. **

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters!**


	21. Like the Brother I Never Had

"Stop thinking like that," Jaune mumbled to himself, sitting on the edge of his bed, "Stop thinking like that, stop thinking like that..."

His gaze traveled from the wall to the sword perched up against the wall, along with his shield. He tried to avert his thinking to the simple weapon he was staring at, but all he could think about was how easily the others had acted to his proposition to leave.

He hadn't really planned on leaving, but the thought of it was starting to sound a little more appealing. Not appealing enough to actually cause him to, but it was growing on him, and it was scary. He wasn't exactly one to just barge out of places where he should't. Stealing his way to Beacon had been nerve-racking enough, but altogether leaving everyone behind?

He had simply said that he would to see how much everyone actually cared about him. Pyrrha would want him to stay, in fact, she was one of the main reasons he had joined Ruby in the first place. This whole love-mess had just been a problem that had showed up on the way, and it had _not _helped.

"Oh, Pyrrha," he said, his voice just an audible whisper while he stared at his gear, "What do I do now? Do I just...continue on and forget about what just happened? Or do I..." He gave a frustrated sigh and shook his head, closing his eyes.

"I don't even know what else there is to do," he mumbled, "I shouldn't leave, just because of this. But then again, what use exactly am I to this group? I wanted to carry on the tradition of my father and his father and...well, it goes on. You already know everything about my perspective on all this, and as to why I'm telling it to you all over again...I don't know."

He shook his head again and let out a long, exasperated sigh.

"I-"

His beginning sentence was cut off by the sound of the door creaking open, causing him to jump with momentary startlement. He looked up at the door, wondering who it was, only to meet eyes with Ren. He was standing patiently at the door, an unreadable expression on his face.

It was a very strange mix between sympathy, sorrow, confusion, calmness, and, well, whatever expression Ren seemed to make all the time when nothing in particular was happening or when things weren't all bright and sunny.

"May I come in?" he asked quietly. Jaune nodded slowly, knowing that Ren could see the pain on his face. Ren walked into the room, closing the door gently behind him before walking over and sitting next to his leader on the bed.

"Hey, Ren," Jaune sighed, still looking down at the floor, "What's, um...what's up."

Ren looked carefully at Jaune, an understanding look on his face.

"I came in here to ask you the same question," he answered, also avering his gaze to the floor, "Are you alright? You seemed fairly troubled after the others left to take care of Ruby. I was even surprised myself when you didn't join them to aid her."

Jaune just lightly shrugged.

"I-I don't know," he said, his voice low and quiet, "I know I shouldn't feel so angry and betrayed, just because Ruby doesn't like me. But there's just something..._crushing _about the whole thing, you know?"

Ren nodded slowly. "I can picture that feeling."

"Like," Jaune continued, "What if Nora decided that she liked...uh." He thought for a moment, trying to think of someone to fill in the space. "Oscar or something. Wouldn't you feel terrible?"

"Oscar?" Ren asked, his eyes a little wider and his voice teaming with traces of disgust and shock, "Why would she do that? He is already going to be a father and has publicly announced that he loves-"

"I know, I know," Jaune said, waving his hands lightly at his partner, "I was just saying that figuratively. Okay, say that you found out that she likes someone else. How would that make you feel?"

"Jaune," Ren said, "I understand how heartbroken you are, especially considering the pain you have had to bear with the loss of Pyrrha and having your feelings for Ruby rejected, but you can't let your romantic life lead you away from the real world. You need to keep yourself in check and avoid misguidance."

Jaune sighed again, closing his eyes.

"I know," he muttered. Ren looked down and then back up at Jaune, a sympathetic expression on his face. He lifted a hand up and placed it firmly on Jaune's shoulder, gaining the attention and gaze from his leader.

"You're a strong fighter, Jaune," Ren said, a rare and light smirk on his face that only Nora seemed to be able to magically conjure, "Despite how difficult it was for you to deal with your classes at Beacon, and the fact that compared to the majority of the students, you were rather pathetic,"

"Yeah, thanks a lot," Jaune cut in with gloomy sarcasm.

"You still pulled through," Ren continued, "You still fought on and tried your hardest to improve. Not many possess that determination, especially those who already have everything. But you didn't have it, so you fought until you did. In the battles we've fought, you never quit. You always stayed until the end.

"So before you think about giving up; before you decide to forget about everything you've worked so hard to obtain, remember that you aren't one to surrender, and that by agreeing to be a huntsman, you are agreeing to be one to never give up. You were chosen as our team leader for a reason, and one of those reasons was that you never gave up, not matter what.

"Even though Pyrrha died, you kept moving forward. Even though you always lost in most things you participated in, you kept moving forward. So don't you dare stop after you've come this far, just because of how things went just before. Not now, alright?"

It wasn't until he looked back up that Jaune realized that there were tears running down his face. He hadn't even felt like crying, and he hadn't felt those tears come up or run down, either. He locked eyes with his teammate, getting another soft smirk from him before he took his hand off of his shoulder.

"Th-thanks, Ren," Jaune said, quickly wiping his eyes, "I really needed that." He looked back down at the floor, his hands folded.

Ren nodded. "I know."

The two of them sat there in pure silence, sitting side by side on the bed without saying a word or even moving. Even the others seemed to be silent in the other parts of the house, providing a very quiet atmosphere.

"So...why exactly were you talking to yourself?" Ren asked, breaking the silence with his hushed, low voice. Jaune snapped out of the mild trance he had been in and looked back up at him. He sighed and shrugged again.

"I guess just sometimes people have to vent to somebody they trust," he began, pausing before he finished his sentence, "Even if...even if they aren't really there."

Ren looked at the same thing Jaune was. His eyes traced over the golden lining of his shield, sword, and armor, which had been discarded and placed by his weapons for the sake of comfort. Wearing that armor all the time got a little uncomfortable sometimes.

"Pyrrha?" Ren asked, already knowing the answer. Jaune nodded his answer, still not looking back up from his gear leaning up against the wall.

"Even though it's already been just about three years..," he said, shaking his head, "Sometimes I still feel like it was just last week that I heard from Qrow that she was gone. Never coming back."

"I'm sure the pain is just as fresh, as well," Ren commented.

"No, not quite," Jaune answered, "It's not fresh anymore...just like an old wound that never heals. Old and painful, but not the fresh and bleeding kind. The kind where it's kinda crusted and aching all the time, and if you're in a certain position, it really spikes."

"I see," Ren said softly, "I understand that. I can also relate, as well."

Jaune looked up, mildly confused. "What?"

"To be blunt, me and Nora haven't exactly had the most enjoyable past."

"That's kinda makes sense," Jaune said, "At least, to your quietness. As for how Nora is always so energetic and crazy all the time...that confuses me."

Ren chuckled slightly and smiled. "Yes, she partially learned how to make joy of many circumstances from our past, but it is also just her. She naturally bears that energy and enthusiasm. It truly is something to envy sometimes."

"Ha," Jaune said, smirking, "Imagine you with Nora's personality. I would have nightmares for weeks after that."

The two men shared a few chuckles before resuming to the somewhat grave atmosphere. Jaune sighed and then stood up, taking up his gear and putting it all on. Then he turned back to Ren, who awaited further word from his leader.

"We're leaving," he said, his voice picking up the his usual determination, "I've already told Weiss that it's time to go and that she needs to be ready for us when we get to the Schnee Manor."

"I thought we were picking her up after we obtained the Atlas Relic," Ren said. Jaune shook his head.

"Without Ruby to help us, we need all the help we can get, especially if we're going up against that 'Relic Guardian' or whatever Oscar said. Weiss is an amazing fighter, so she can make up for Ruby's absence."

"But won't her father notice and try searching for her again?"

"Maybe? He didn't seem to be looking for her after she left before, so maybe not."

"I'm not so sure. He might find out shortly after she disappears, resulting in complications."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it."

Jaune walked towards the door, his hand looming inches away from the handle, when he paused and looked back over his shoulder at Ren. He smiled lightly and gave an acknowledging nod to him, a look of appreciation following.

"Thanks, Ren," he said again, his voice brimming with sincerity, "Like the brother I never had."

Ren smiled again and nodded. "And I, you."

The two of them laughed a little before Jaune left the room, leaving Ren to prepare his own weapons and gear for the duration of the mission that awaited them. It wasn't going to be too hard, but they needed to be care about what they did.

* * *

"Breathe...you're alright. Breathe...your alright. Breathe...you're alright."

Oscar's words repeated over and over again as Ruby gasped for breath over and over again. She sat up with her hands pressing up for support against the mattress she lay on. Sweat ran down her face and neck, dampening her sweat-soaked pajamas and making her skin slick and wet.

Her cheeks glowed bright red, heat radiating off of her entire body. The blankets wrapped around her did not help with the heat she was feeling, and all she wanted to do was jump right back into that icy river again. She felt like she was sitting inside of an oven.

Oscar's gentle, large, calloused hand rested on her back, comfortingly helping to hold her up and just trying to be assuring. His face was melted with an expression of high concern and sympathy for the girl in front of him, and he wanted nothing more than for her to be okay.

He was also concerned about their baby. Surely everything that had just happened couldn't have been good for it, and if it was taking a bad effect on Ruby, it must be having a bad effect on Baby Pine, as well. He shivered at the thought of anything bad happening to his new child...or children.

Ruby continued to pant, having just woken up from another horrific nightmare. She had blasted awake, an awful heat bearing down on her, and had sat up with an ear-piercing scream. Oscar had been waiting for her to wake up and had been there immediately to calm her down.

It took her a little while to finally catch her breath and get ahold of herself, making sense of her surroundings and calming down a bit. She felt her heart pounding in her chest, and her pulse raced faster than she could ever recall it going. Her cheeks seemed to be rushing with heat, but the rest of her body started to feel a little cold again.

"O-Oscar," she stammered, "W-what just h-happened?"

Oscar smiled softly at her. "We're just in your room. You fainted while we were talking to Maria, so we brought you back up here. And to be honest, I think you're going to be staying in here a while."

Ruby glanced around again, the familiarity of everything beginning to sink fully in as her sanity returned. She instinctively placed a hand on her stomach, wondering if her babies were okay.

"Oscar," she said, looking down at where her hand sat, "Do you think our babies are okay? I mean, they went through a lot and I'm not that far through. Do you think maybe...maybe I might have a miscarri-"

"No, no," Oscar said quickly, "Don't think like that. I'm sure they're...fine. I mean, you have your aura protecting them, anyway. Wait, do you really think you're having twins? Just because of that one thing Qrow said earlier?"

Ruby sighed and nodded.

"I've been feeling them move," she said, "I felt them move a bit earlier, a little earlier than when they commonly come for people having just one. I read that they come sooner if you're having twins. And then when Uncle Qrow said that thing about Mom being smaller with me at my age-"

She stopped for a moment, blinking after she said those words.

"Wait, why would Uncle Qrow know something like that?" blurted, as if very surprised, "Or even really remember? Didn't his team like, fall apart or something after they graduated or whatever?"

Oscar shook his head.

"I don't really know yet," he sighed, "Me and Ozpin haven't combined enough yet to where I could just recall his memories as if they were mine alone. But I have a feeling that Ozpin doesn't know that, either. It is, after all, Qrow's private life."

Ruby looked down. She felt like a mess, inwardly, outwardly, physically, and mentally. She had made Jaune upset when he was already sad enough. She had disappointed Yang and prety much everyone with her. She had made Oscar's life a lot harder. And then she was tired and probably decently sick.

"Am I sick?" she asked abruptly, making Oscar raised a brow. He nodded.

"Yeah, you've got one of those raging fevers..," he answered, the look of concern returning, "I really don't like it. How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Sorry, I should've asked those things earlier and-"

"It's fine, Oscar," Ruby said, smiling softly, "I just want some water, if it isn't too much to ask."

Oscar smiled and nodded his head. "Alright then, I'll go get some for you."

He stood up and neared the door, only to hear the a short gasp from the other side and the sounds of someone rushing hurriedly away from the door as if trying to go unnoticed. He shook his head with a chuckled, knowing well enough who it probably was, and left to get Ruby's drink.

Ruby watched him go, a sad, heavy feeling draping over the room as soon as he was gone and the door was closed. Without him there, or really anyone there, she felt lonely and sad. It was like someone had blocked out the sun or something. She sighed and lay back down, feeling mildly dizzy whenever she moved.

Whenever she did move, every muscle ached, and a very mild pain in her head warned her from exerting much more than what she had done since waking up. The silence of the room was boring, and the strange mix of hot and cold she felt, meshed together with tiredness and exhaustion, was _not_ pleasant.

"Ugh, why do I have to be so vulnerable?" she complained quietly to herself, watching a ray of sunshine dance around on the ceiling above her, "I have not being able to do anything without people worrying!"

"Me too," Nora's voice answered back, startling her out of her wits. She jumped with a screech, sitting up and whipping around to see Nora sitting in her bed across from her.

"Ow!" Ruby winced, quickly putting her hand to her head as the mild pain suddenly burst into a throbbing pound. Nora raised a brow and made a confused face that melted into a slightly sympathetic one.

"You okay?" she asked. Ruby could only nod her answer as she waited for the painfully throbbing to dull back to its minimum, bearable level again. Once it had, she sighed and looked exhaustedly at her friend, who's bright blue eyes seemed to pulse with energy.

"So, what's it like to have a whole human being _living _in your stomach?" Nora asked suddenly, looking more excited than upset, "Is it gross feeling? Or is it super cool? WAIT-is the strength of your kid added to yours, making you more strong?!"

"Unfortunately, no," Ruby answered, wishing Nora could tone her voice down, "In fact, just the opposite. My aura gets invested into my baby, so I have less of it protecting me."

Nora's excitement faded into interested curiousity.

"Wait, so then, does your aura completely go away when its almost time for the baby to be born?" she asked, just as energetically as before, "Wait, what if you're expecting twins? _Are _you expecting twins? Qrow sure made it sound like it."

"I thinks so," Ruby said, wincing mildly as her head decided that Nora's volume wasn't tolerable, "Could you maybe be a little quieter? I don't think my body likes how loud your being right now."

Nora quickly shut herself up, pressing her lips together into a straight line and nodding an affirmative answer.

"You've got it, Ruby!" she whispered loudly, amounting to a bearable toned voice. Ruby smiled with relief and nodded her gratitude.

"Thanks, Nora."

Ruby's expression sobered, and she looked down again. She felt hot and sticky, and her throat was beginning to ache from how long it had been dry. The thought of some nice, cold water was very appealing, and the thoughts of fresh platters of sliced fruit shining with droplets of pure water...

"What's up?" Nora asked, her voice at a good, normal volume.

"Watermelon," Ruby answered, staring off into space. Her eyes weren't even aligned properly as they stared at nothing in particular. Her mouth was open a crack, and looked like it was about to drip saliva from the fact that her mouth was watering.

"Ruby?"

"Huh?" Ruby snapped out of her trance, the gorgeous images of fresh, sweet slices of watermelon in the summertime fading from her mind as her eyes refocused on real life. She shook her head, regretting it badly as a wave of dizziness washed through from it.

"What do you mean, 'watermelon'? Are you okay?" Nora looked a little more concerned now, but also seemed to find Ruby's mental absence humorous and amusing. It was, after all, pretty funny.

"Yeah," Ruby said, laughing a little to herself, "Just remembering my ever-present food cravings."

"Is it watermelon?" Nora asked, already knowing that it probably was.

"Unfortunately," Ruby sighed, closing her eyes and trying not to imagine a big juicy wedge of watermelon being shoved into her mouth and chewed, the sweet, refreshing, perfectly wonderful flavor spilling into her mouth and running down her throat...

"Hey, close your mouth!" Nora cried, making Ruby's head pain spike and jerk her rudely from her imagination, "You're drooling on your blanket-er, blankets!"

Ruby shut her mouth and swallowed the saliva in her mouth, the constant nagging of the craving of watermelon lingering obnoxiously in her mouth. She mentally cursed her cravings and shook them off, trying to focus back on Nora.

"Sorry!" she apologized quickly, wiping her chin and then wincing again as her head forced her hand to return to it. Her voice sounded like the whimper of a tiny wounded animal, and it made Nora feel bad for her.

"It's fine, Ruby," Nora said, smiling, "Sorry to make your head hurt. I make Ren's head hurt a lot and he doesn't mind at all! I think."

Ruby giggled, recalling a few times where Nora would accidentally or purposely hit her teammate on the head, either out of humor, boredom, anger, or...well, for whatever random reason Nora had. Ren had seemed to mind some...he just didn't really seem to vocally express it much.

"It's okay," Ruby answered, "It's my fault I even fell in the river, anyway. Just paying the consequences, I guess."

Nora shrugged. "So, are ya thinking about any names?"

Ruby looked down, partially confused at the change in subject and also wondering if she _had _been thinking about any baby names. She hadn't really at all, now that she really thought about it. It was still early in her pregnancy, and she had been focussed on hiding her secret and taking care of herself as much as she could manage, while still trying to keep out of suspicion.

"Well, no," she sighed, "But why would I need to? We still have a few more months and stuff, so..."

Nora rolled her eyes.

"Oh, c'mon, Ruby!" she said energetically, "Those babies are your _children_! They've gotta have names, and what kind of mother would you be if you didn't give much thought or consideration into naming them?!"

"Well, uhm..."

"Names are _important_! Your children will bear them for the rest of their lives, so give them meaning! Make them awesome! That, or beautiful. Maybe colorful? Oh wait! Make them colors! That way, you'd be part of that movement thingy that Professor Ozpin told us about in Beacon! YEAH!"

Ruby blinked, confused at how quickly Nora moved from one topic to another. Yes, it was Nora, but right now, Ruby's mind was a scrambled mess, and it was somewhat hard to make sense of some things. Her head suddenly spiked up in pain, as if delayed, resulting in Ruby leaning over with her hands to her head.

Her eyes were tightly shut, and her teeth were clenched as she tried to wait out the pain...That grinding, cutting, agonizing pain.

Just then, the door opened and Oscar walked through carrying a frosty glass of ice water, the ice cubes clinking together as the cup moved around. He hurried to Ruby's bedside the moment he saw what she was doing, placing the cup on the nightstand next to the bed.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, highly concerned.

"Her head's being wonky," Nora answered, also sharing a bit of his concern, "We can't be too loud or it'll explode."

Oscar nodded his thanks to Nora and quickly placed his hand on her head, soothingly brushing her own hands off of it and then slowly lowering her back down onto her pillow, hushing her all the way. Now both hands were on her head, and he closed his eyes, focussing on his many buried semblances.

_Restore the hurt; sooth the pain_

_Blemish the take; bring the gain_

_Gone with the guilt; gone with with the shame_

_Restore the hurt; soothe the pain_

In a few moments, his hands began to glow a soft green, and Ruby felt his hands on her head, her eyes now open, seeing the light of them. His hands suddenly felt cool and soothing, and seemed to sink into her head, destroying the pain that was pounding in it. Ruby closed her eyes and relaxed, smiling lightly as relief flooded her.

"Thanks, Oscar," she whispered. Despite feeling like she was sweating the ocean and that her innards were wildly boiling, she almost felt light and airy, however that worked, and now all she wanted to do was sleep.

"Yeah," Oscar said, smiling as well. It made him so happy to see her smile and no longer in pain, so when she drifted off to sleep a few minutes later as he watched her, he felt his heart shine with a positive light, and it began to beat slightly faster.

He sighed and lay his head down on the bed, ignoring their slight dampness due to how much Ruby had been sweating. Nora raised a brow and sat back in her bed, watching Oscar sit their with his head there.

"You okay, Little Cute Boy Ozpin?" she asked, "Or should I not call you that anymore? You know, cuz you're-"

"I know, Ozpin's not here anymore," Oscar finished for her, his voice slightly muffled from the sheet almost pressed against his mouth. Nora raised and brow and then shook her head, clicking her tongue.

"No!" she scolded, "I was _going _to say, 'Cuz you're not so little and cute anymore'. Then again, you are technically cute, if you put it into a different context."

Oscar chuckled, a tired but sincere chuckle, and lifted his head from the sheets, smiling softly.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Nora shrugged and slid off her bed, standing up and then going into the corner where Magnhild was folded up and leaning agains the wall. She picked it up and put it on her back, securing it in place and then sitting back down on the edge of her bed.

"So..," she said, trying to strike up more conversation, "What are you gonna do when your kids are born? Are you gonna like, give them away or something like that?"

Oscar looked at Nora, a confused look on his face.

"What?" he said, "No! Me and Ruby are going to raise them like any parents ought. With love and care. Why, would you do something like that?"

Nora looked horrified.

"What?! NO! Why would I do something as _cruel _as that? Even if I wasn't prepared to face such a fun challenge, I wouldn't do that! That's just-that's just _terrible!_ Besides, it isn't fun being homeless."

She looked solemnly down, her mood suddenly shifting serious momentarily. Oscar looked confused again, having no idea where this was all coming from in her. He didn't know her backstory.

"Well, giving them away wouldn't make them homeless," he began, "It just means they'd live with some other people as their parents. That, or be placed in an orphanage, but I don't think we'd do that if we couldn't take care of them."

"I know, I know," Nora said, her mood seeming to be trying to lighten up again, "I'm just saying, some kids run away from orphanages. _Then _they're homeless."

Oscar just sighed, nodding.

"I understand where you're coming from," he said, "Me and Ruby are going to be their parents...and we'll get married, too."

"You _will_?!" Nora gasped, an extreme look of excitement on her face, "When?!"

"Well, as soon as Ruby's old enough, of course," he answered, "It probably won't be one of those grand proposals, though, and even if it is, it won't really be a surprise. Think about that. Ruby probably dreamed about having one of those romantic proposals like in the movies, but look at our situation now."

He laughed and shook his head. "I can't decide whether it's more of a fantasy or less."

"Hey!" Jaune's voice called from downstairs, "Is everyone upstairs ready to go?!" His voice sounded a lot less tense and angry than when he had announced the time of their departure for the mission, so that was good to hear. Literally.

Nora and Oscar exchanged a glance, also glancing at Ruby before they both nodded to each other and Nora slipped quietly out of the room, forgetting to close the door behind her.

"Yup!" she shouted down the stairs, "We're ready! Minus Ruby, of course. Is she coming?" Jaune's failure to answer was affirmative enough for her, and she leaped down the stairs and happily skipped out the door and into the snow, excited for the coming mission.

Oscar shook his head and went to close it, only to be punched roughly in the shoulder by a passing Yang.

"Hey, ow!" he said, trying not to raise his voice, "What was that for?"

"Sorry!" Yang called back, already racing downstairs, "Just wanted to unleash some of my excitement on someone...and anger!" The sound of her bursting out the front door and laughing loudly outside could be heard, muffled. Oscar growled something annoyed under his breath and began closing the door again.

But just as be began to do so, Blake hurried past, her arm catching on the doorknob and causing it to slam open again, as well as stop Blake in her tracks and make her clutch her arm in pain. She mumbled something darkly before continuing on her way.

Ren passed by, having seen the scene, and gave Oscar an apologizing look before disappearing around the corner. Oscar felt a pang of anger go through him as he tried again to close the door and allow him and Ruby to have one more minute before the mission started up again.

"Oh, c'mon!" Oscar harshly whispered as Qrow stopped in front of the door. His face looked sincere and stern at the same time, so Oscar decided to stop and listen to him. He gave him a questioning look, hoping that it would be quick.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Have you...noticed anything suspicious?" Qrow asked, "Such as any strange signs of spies or anything?"

Oscar raised a brow. "What? Why?"

Qrow looked suspiciously around before answering him, his fists somewhat clenched and his voice lowered.

"I get the feeling we're being watched," he said, "I can't say for sure what it is, but ever since we left that train station, I've had that feeling. I've even heard a few sounds, ones made when someone's sneaking around and trying not to be spotted. It's a feeling I'm well familiar with."

Oscar nodded.

"Well, if anything, it's some kind of Atlas spy," he said, "And that wouldn't be good. If they ever try to attack us, though, I think we're pretty set. Otherwise, I don't really know who else...or what else, it could be."

Qrow shook his head, frowning.

"There are plenty more options than some kind of spy; it could really be anything. But like you said, I think we should be all set. Don't want to take whatever it is for granted, though. I'll keep my eyes pealed for sure."

Oscar nodded his affirmation and then left the room, closing the door softly behind him. "I've seen you doing that since the train station."

Qrow nodded.

"That's because I was," he said, taking a step into the hallway, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yup," Oscar answered.

"And Ruby isn't coming?" Qrow almost sounded sad as he said that, and his face fell as Oscar confirmed.

"Yes."

"Then let's go," Qrow said, walking through the hallway and then down the stairs, Oscar following close behind. Oscar looked back at the stairs before he exited the house, sighing as he wished he could just stay behind with Ruby. But they needed him for the Relic; he needed to come with them.

"Sorry, Ruby," he mumbled to himself as he walked through the door and jumped off the steps, landing beside his friends, "I wouldn't stayed."

"Alrighty, guys," Jaune said, his face, though grim and certainly not happy, seeming to be enlightened with determination, "It's time to get Weiss and then sneak into the top of Atlas Academy, defeating the guardian or whatever, breaking open the Vault and then taking the Relic."

Oscar swallowed nervously.

Jaune set his face into a firm, ready look, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword and his mouth in a straight line. Turning around to face the path in front of them, he stared hard at the faint outline of the seemingly floating part of the city in the distance, covered by heavy fog.

"Let's do this."

* * *

Weiss walked as quickly as she could through the long hallway, her steps quick and oriented and her sword in her hand.

She had explained to Winter that she needed to hurry and get somewhere for the sake of the mission she was one. Of course, Winter had wanted to come too, or at least know where her younger sister was headed in case of the need for aid, but Weiss declined and was now on her way, alone.

"Just get to the left side of the entrance and wait for them there," she murmured to herself, glancing out the clear glass windows that showed her the gorgous view of the city that not many could see from their homes. Her reflection was also there, and the reflections of some of her surroundings.

She couldn't help but stare at the reflection in the glass as she walked, seeing not a cowardly, rich, spoiled teenager, but a determined, skilled, and beautiful huntress in the making, ready to protect the world.

_My, how things have changed since the beginning of Beacon._

Just as she was about to take her eyes from the windows she was passing, she saw the reflexion of someone standing in front of her, and she was about to bump right into that person if she didn't stop. Swiveling her gaze from the reflection, she looked in front of her, only to slam right into the lady in the way.

She fell backwards onto the floor, her sword falling with a clang on the hard marble floor next to her, and she looked quickly up, hoping that it was only Klein or some random maid. But her eyes locked with the wrong person. Someone whom she _really _didn't need in the way right now.

"M-Mother!" Weiss stammered, staring into her mother's icy blue eyes, "Um, good afternoon!"

She quickly stood up, composing herself and picking up her sword. She smiled unconvincingly at her mother, knowing by the look in her eyes that she wasn't buying it. She could also tell that her mother was _not _going to help the situation.

"Why the rushing, Weiss?" Willow asked, sounding tired as ever, "You should know better not to run around staring into mirrors. Oh, wait. Isn't that your thing?"

The fact that her face was flushed and she was swaying slightly told Weiss that her mother was probably drunk...again. It would make sense, considering the fact that she hadn't seen her in a while. Whenever Willow didn't show up for some time, she was usually drinking. How lovely.

"I-I'm sorry, Mother," Weiss said in a controlled tone, "It won't happen again."

_She's drunk. Just talk your way out of this and get to the left side of the entrance! You've done this before, so you can do this..._

"I should hope so," Willow said, her voice slurred, "That way you won't concuss anybody before you become a huntress." She burst out into some kind of exaggerated laughter. It almost sounded villainous, and it was very forced, as if it really hadn't been funny, even to her intoxicated mind.

Weiss just nervously laughed along with her mother, glancing around herself with the hopes of finding a maid to help her out and get her mother somewhere away from her. But the halls were empty, and she would have to deal with this herself.

"Well, Mother," Weiss said, trying to sidestep the woman, "I kind of have someplace I really need to be. Can't be late, you know. So if you could just let me pass, then I would be _extremely _grateful."

Willow abruptly stopped her insane laughter, a stern look on her face as she shoved herself right up in her daughter's face. The drunkness in her eyes was combined with a spark of anger, resulting in a blazing fire of negativity.

"I wasn't blocking you, anyway!" she growled, "And if you wanna leave your poor, tired mama alone with your idiot of a brother and bas-"

"No, no, Mother," Weiss finished quickly, not wishing to hear her mother say such words, "I-I'm not leaving. I'm just...going somewhere for a little while. Don't worry, I'll be back."

The lie felt bitter in her mouth, and she wanted to spit it out and replace it with the truth. But nothing else would convince her mother to let her pass, and she needed to pass, right now. Security wouldn't allow her teammates and friends to linger around Schnee territory unauthorized for very long, so they couldn't wait.

Willow just gave her a blank stare before exploding into more forced laughter, slapping Weiss playfully on the shoulder and staggering away. Her face became even redder as she laughter harder and harder, manically and very fake.

"What a malicious little liar you are!" Willow shouted from the end of the hall, sounding amused and angry as her voice echoed loudly, "Have fun with your friends and see ya later, honey!"

Weiss felt a tear slip from her eye as her mother left, the feeling of rejection and the lack of love slowly flowing into her again. It was such a familiar and bitter feeling, and she had felt it so many times in her life. But for some reason, she still wasn't used to it. It was always as painful every time.

Wiping her eyes quickly, she hurried through the hallways, eager to make it as soon as she could. She wasn't going to fail her team or make things difficult. She wasn't going to be a burden, and besides, she missed them all, anyway.

* * *

**Ha, it took me two days to write this chapter; I just only had 2 days out of this week to really write anything. :P**

**So, as Nora previously mentioned, these two precious babies are going to need names. I already have one name just about prepped, but I'm always open for more options. So people, if you guys have any ideas or want to make some, go ahead and send them to me via reviews or PMs!**

**A huge thanks to the most recent Guest for giving me the critique I've been waiting for since the beginning of the story. What the review said wasn't specifically what I was waiting for, but the critique. (I'm always looking to improve my writing and fix mistakes)**

**And then, of course, a thanks to everyone else who ****reviewed, is following, has favorited, or is just reading this. (I would mentioned specific profile names, but I don't feel like it; sorry XD)**

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters!**


	22. Extreme Tension

"I can see the Schnee Manor!" Yang yelled, pointing to the large, grand mansion standing about a mile away, "You think she's ready for us in there? That place looks like a maze!"

The group all stood in the semi-crowded street way, staring at Weiss' home. The snow had thickened a little, but was still relatively light. It was rather beautiful, really, but right now the group cared little about it. They needed to pick up Weiss and then get to the top of Atlas Academy, fight the guardian, break into the vault, and then get the Relic.

"She'll be ready," Jaune said with determination, "She's always ready. And besides, she sounded ready when I told her to get ready right away. You know how punctual she can be."

"How do we get there?" Nora asked, marveling at its grandness. Yang snickered and pointed to a wooden sign that stood within view, tall and brightly painted with several locations, as well as how many miles away it was.

"Gee, I dunno," she joked, "Maybe by following the directions on this so-hard-to-see sign that's literally _right _next to us?"

Nora gave Yang an unamused look and put a hand on her hip.

"Don't lecture me," she said sternly. Yang, Ren, Blake, and Oscar all laughed, while Qrow and Jaune carefully studied the sign for instructions on the route there. he chance of them arriving without instructions wasn't too slim, but they didn't want to end up lost and wasting time.

"Alrighty, guys," Jaune said after a few moments, "It looks like if we take the bus to Clove Street, then we should get there in less than twenty minuets. Otherwise, it might take us a whole forty-five to walk."

"So the bus, then," Yang said. Qrow nodded.

"Yup," he said, almost sounding bored, "And then we walk some more. You kids better be ready to put your stealth skills into use...'Cause if you don't have any, you aren't going to allow us into that Academy. Class is probably in session, too."

"Well, isn't that convenient!" Yang said with a large amount of cheerfulness.

"You don't need to rub it in, Firecracker," Qrow muttered, shaking his head and turning to continue the group forward. Yang raised a brow and put a hand on her hip, her lavender eyes looking questioningly at Qrow.

"No, I mean it," she said, "It means that there won't be any students randomly walking around and stuff. They'll _all be in class_."

Qrow shook his head again.

"I know that," he answered bitterly, "But that's when the security is at its highest level of precaution. When the defenders of the world in training are busy in class. Atlas isn't like Beacon; they have security for almost _everything_."

"Talk about obnoxious!" Nora said, crossing her arms. Ren and Yang nodded in agreement.

"Makes sense," Blake said, shrugging, "I mean, it _is _Atlas, one of the most uptight, disciplined kingdoms of the four."

"Okay, guys, enough discussion," Jaune said, beginning to walk forward, "We need to hurry. Weiss could have some sort of regal even going on or something that she needs to avoid in order to get to us, so we can't keep her waiting for forever!"

The others nodded, some a bit annoyed at Jaune's strictness, but obliged and were soon following him to the nearest bus station.

"Weiss," Jaune said, looking up at the mansion in the distance, "I hope you're almost ready up there."

* * *

"Alright, I made it!" Weiss breathed, sighing with relief as she stood by the window that overlooked the east side of the entrance. The wall that separated Atlas' property from Schnee property was a little high, but the other side could be seen from Weiss' view, and it wasn't even the highest point of that wall.

As the distance of the wall increased to the west, it got higher and higher until it joined into the main Schnee gate, which was guarded by Schnee security. But where Weiss was expecting her friends to appear was only guarded by a few lower security members wandering around, hardly paying attention at all.

_Now that I thin about it, a lot of the people Father hires don't usual do their work as well they could unless they get high wage._

Shrugging, she glanced down at her sword, lifting it up and examining the dials. She checked through each one, somewhat surprised that each slot in the dial was almost completely full of each kind of dust she had stored. Had Winter refilled it? Or had she refilled it before leaving?

"Oh, whatever," she muttered to herself, lowering her sword and keeping her eyes pealed for any sign of her friends. It had only been about three days since they had departed from her, but it had felt like an eternity. Life without her friends took forever to pass by.

An eager, energetic excitment coursed through her at the thought of seeing her friends again. She would get to leave this hellish place, see the people who were like a _real _family to her, and then she'd probably never have to leave this place again. A smile blossomed on her lips and slowly grew as images of her friends' faces flashed through her head. It became the widest when Jaune's face made an appearance.

_Maybe I can explain to Jaune how I feel now. Maybe he'd like that, especially since he was head over heals for me at Beacon._

A larger smile, a determined one, crossed her face at that thought. Maybe he was more open than she thought; maybe the two of them really could happen. It wasn't exactly an impossible thing, either. Almost likely.

It was nearly half an hour later when she realized that she hadn't. been paying attention to the window. She gasped and quickly turned her gaze back to the clear glass panes next to her, relieved to see no sign of them. It wouldn't take them a few minutes to get here from wherever they were, but it wouldn't take them forever. She just hoped they were doing alright for travel...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sound of glass shattering, followed by a loud thump. The two sounds were more of an echo than the actual sound itself, meaning that it was likely a bit of a walk from where she was right now, but it rose her concern immediately.

"K-Klein?" she called, hurrying quickly through the hallway towards where she had heard the sound coming from, "Klein, is that you? Are you okay?"

Thoughts of the butler falling and possibly hitting his head filler her mind and concerned her. There had been an instance once, when Weiss had only been about 14, where Klein, carrying several heavy trays, had slipped and fallen down the stairs, getting knocked out from a strike to the head. She had found him, terrified, and had tried to drag him half across the Manor.

Of course, he had been fine afterwards, but now that he was a little older, it worried her to think of another incident like that. She very much hoped that he was alright, if it was him.

But after a few moments, she reached the cause of her concern, making her freeze in her tracks and stand woodenly in her spot as she stared at the woman on the floor, a shattered wine bottle sitting on a pool of bright red liquor beside her.

* * *

"Hey! Give it back to me!" Nora yelled as she reached for Magnhild, which was in rocket launcher form, from Yang's hands. The bus was so crowded, the people standing didn't even have to hold onto the handles that dangled from the ceiling due to the amount of people practically crushing them from all around.

Almost no one could move very well amidst the warm, humid atmosphere of bodies crowding around, so when Nora tried to grab her weapon from Yang's playful dangling, she could hardly do so and failed after a few fitful attempts.

Yang was about to pull her arm out of the wall of people that she had been using as a defense from Nora, only to find that it was stuck. Frustrated, she pulled her arm as hard as she could, uncomfortable with the fact that her wrist was right in some sweaty guy's warm, wet, and putrid armpit.

She continued pulling, only to have her arm yanked out of its place and her elbow to smack into a random person behind her. Apologizing quickly to the lady she had accidentally inflicted pain on, she looked back to find her bionic arm sticking out from between the guy's armpit.

"Ugh!" she yelled, trying to draw backwards, only to have her back smack into someone directly behind her, on the same seat. She frowned and reached for it, only to have a big pregnant woman to shift in front of her and get in her way, unintentionally. Yang tried to stand, but then bumped her head roughly on a tall person's hard, bony chin.

He looked very upset, and glared down at her with his blazing orange eyes. Yang laughed nervously and apologized to him as well, feeling even angrier at the fact that she was now temporarily armless again and her arm was stuck in some guy's sweaty armpit. She let out a frustrated groan and let it pass.

"Hey, Qrow," Oscar said, standing squished between Qrow and Blake, "What's the status of the person you feel like is following us? Have you seen them yet? Do you think they could possibly be on this bus?"

Qrow just mumbled something and then looked at Oscar.

"Nope," he answered, "I find it weird, though, how I haven't really heard or even really felt like I was being watched anymore since we neared the mansion. Sometimes I wonder if I was just paranoid or something. It's happened before."

Oscar nodded.

"Let's just hope that's what was all. If it's something more serious, then I hope we don't have to send someone back bleeding...or worse."

Qrow chuckled.

"You've got some thinking, kid," he said, elbowing him as much as he could manage with his limited moving ability, "Although I know it isn't our job to _kill _anybody, sometimes we need to get our hands dirty, even if it's not on purpose."

Oscar's eyes widened.

"Wait, what?" he said, suddenly sounding like a child again, "You've...killed someone before? Is that even legal?'

"Woah, kid," Qrow said, raising a brow but smirking, "Since when did the old you suddenly come alive again? I thought you grew up." He chuckled again and shook his head, looking somewhat happy for some reason.

"I...did," Oscar said slowly, confused, "It's just..." He sighed and hung his head, shaking it. "I don't know."

Qrow just fuzzed the top of Oscar's brown hair and smiled. "Don't worry 'bout it, kid. Sometimes even I get those bouts. Just not as much as I wish I did. Being an adult is no fun...although, it is nice to run into a cute girl sometimes..."

"Hey, Jaune!" Blake called through the sea of people, "What are we going to do if Weiss _isn't _ready to go on time?"

Jaune frowned.

"I don't know," he called back, "But let's just hope not. As long as she's waiting for us right now, we'll be fine. I'll explain the rest of the plan once this awful bus ride is over, okay?"

Blake nodded a silent affirmation and tried to ignore how hard it was to breath in there.

* * *

"M-Mother?" Weiss squeaked, startled. Her mother lay on the floor, her eyes barely open and a look of defeat on her face. Her gaze didn't even look up to her daughter as she sat there, staring straight ahead of her. Her pale skin held a faint bluish tint, moist with sweat. She almost looked dead.

"Mother, are you alright?" Weiss continued, kneeling down next to her and turning her over. Willow's face was just as flushed as before, but a large pink mark in the shape of a handprint was on her left cheek. It was very vibrant, that mark, and she knew immediately what had likely happened.

"Mother, did Father-"

"Yes," Willow answered flatly, her voice a mix of anger, boredom, and exasperation, all mingled together with the effect of intoxication, "Now shut up and don't touch me."

Weiss felt a wave of emotional pain wash through her and stab her heart. Her eyes widened and she held back the threatening tears that tried to make their way into her eyes.

"But Mother, we need to get you back to your room," Weiss said quickly, taking hold of her mother's arm and beginning to stand on her feet. Halfway through, she was jerked back to her knees as her mother yanked her arm from Weiss' grasp.

"I said, _don't touch me_!" Willow snapped, still lacking any real emotion from her voice, "Now go back and have a good time with your best friend-os or whatever."

"No," Weiss said firmly, grabbing her mother's wrist and, with much effort, pulling her to her feet, "We're bringing you back to your room and getting you some help. I'm not leaving you like this."

"Oh, so you care?" Willow said with mock surprise, "What a delight!" She broke out into some more forced, sarcastic laughter as she leaned heavily on her daughter's shoulder, "Now _that's _something I've been missing for a lifetime!"

Her face suddenly sobered and she tried to step away from Weiss, staggering dangerously on her weak, shaking legs and the fact that the whole world around her was spinning. But she nearly fell over again and was quickly stabled by Weiss' shoulder.

"I know, I know," Weiss soothed, feeling the tears fill up in her eyes now, "Don't worry. I've felt it too. And so has Winter, remember? All those long years in the military by herself?"

Willow nodded her head slowly as if she were a toddler learning from its mother.

"Yes," she said, her voice slurred and hollow, "And you never got any playmates. How awful."

Weiss blinked as the tears fell, rolling down her cheeks and dripping off her chin. Memories slowly filed through her mind at her mother's words, and she tried to brush them off, wishing her mother didn't have to bring these things up so many times, especially when she was drunk.

"Yes, how awful," Weiss said, slowly walking with her mother in the direction of her room, "But it's all better now, remember? I have friends in Beacon, and I'm going to see them again. Isn't that great? I'm going to be happy now!"

Willow nodded her head in a slow, heavy motion, a wobbly, delirious smile on her face. "How wonderful," she mumbled, now sounding like she wasn't even present anymore. Her eyes slowly began to close, but quickly shot open again as she remembered something.

"Please don't tell your father that she kissed him!" she burst out frantically, a surprisingly begging look in her tired blue eyes, "He would kill me...And you would have no mother again."

Weiss was almost scared by this sudden act from her mother. And what in Remnant did she mean by 'you would have no mother _again_'?!

* * *

"Now I can breath!" Nora gasped as they were nearly shoved out of the bus by the wave of people exiting, "That was _terrible_!"

"I'd say!" Yang agreed, reattaching her arm back into its place, "Now my arm smells like old sweaty armpit." She wrinkled her nose at her arm and bent down, trying to wipe it off and clean it in the snow.

Blake and Nora giggled, while Yang stuck her tongue out at them and Jaune and Oscar continued discussing the plans before they were going to tell the others. Qrow just continued keeping watch all around them for anything that they should be wary of.

"Okay, guys, listen up," Jaune said, interrupting their lively, silly conversation of the bus ride, "Here's the plan. We're all going to head over to the mansion, which you can all see from here, very close, and we'll walk casually by the wall as if we're just headed for the mail station in the direction. Then we'll-"

"Wait, hold up," Nora cut in, holding up a finger, "Do you mean, 'mail' station, or 'male' station, cuz I don't really see a difference."

Jaune slapped his forehead, growing impatient.

"Nora, if there ins't a difference, then please don't interrupt me with it," he said, trying to sound patient, "And why would you think like that? I'm clearly talking about a place where they deliver mail and stuff."

Nora shrugged. "Okay! Move along, please."

Jaune rolled his eyes and continued on with his plan.

"Alright, so then, right when we're by the east entrance, we'll wait for Weiss to show up in one of the windows. Then we'll get ready in case any security try to stop us or anything. They'll obviously try to stop Weiss once she comes out from the window, so we'll be there to defend her.

"Then she'll come out and in case any security is trying to stop us still and things get messy, Oscar'll just turn us all invisible and we'll make our hasty getaway. After that, we'll hurry to the Academy, get to the top, fight the guardian or whatever, break open the Vault, grab the Relic, and hurry back to Maria's house."

He finished with a clap of his hands.

"Any questions?" he asked, seeming a mix between determined, eager, and focused.

"Uh, yeah," Yang said, "How are we going to go all the way back to Maria's house with a glowing, obviously magical relic thingy in our hands? Won't that attract people or something?"

Jaune rolled his eyes.

"Um, are you forgetting that we can probably just change its size?" he answered, "We could make it a small little thing that we could tuck away with our weapons. If fact, I could probably just hide it in my sheath or something in case it's glowing and just hold my sword."

The group all nodded to each other, and with no further questions, they continued on, hoping that Weiss was watching right now.

* * *

"What?" Weiss asked, confused, "Who kissed him? What do you mean?"

Willow's growing sense of panic increased highly and she stood up straight, taking herself off of Weiss' support and throwing both hands onto her daughter's shoulders, so hard it made a hitting sound. She stared into Weiss' eyes, a blazing fire of fear and urgency in her icy blue eyes, and took a deep breath.

"That woman kissed him and they went into his bedroom after the party and they-"

Weiss suddenly remembered what Willow was talking about, though, the feeling of high confusion still heavily remained.

"I know, I know," Weiss cut in quickly, hushing her mother, "I was there, don't worry, I already know. But that wasn't your fault, it's okay! It's all okay, don't worry about it."

"No, no it's not!" Willow cried, the heat-wrenching emotion in her voice making the tears spilling down Weiss' face increase in speed, "If he finds out that you and me know, he'll beat me again! You don't understand!"

Weiss was full-blown crying now, feeling completely helpless as to why her mother was saying what she was saying. She wanted to help her mother, and to see her like this, saying these things while being so heavily drunk, made her feel terrible. It was very hard to bear.

"But he doesn't care about what you know of feel," Weiss sobbed, wishing her mother was gripping her shoulder's so tightly and crying so furiously now, "What are you talking about? I don't understand! I don't understand..."

Willow's eyes widened and she suddenly pulled Weiss into her arms, shoving her head up against her chest in an uncomfortable, but loving hug. A hug full of exasperation and hurt and all the sorrows of living with what they were. It was a hug far overdue, and as to why it was happening now, neither had any idea.

But it happened, and soon enough, Willow and Weiss both stood in that hallway, sobbing uncontrollably with each other. Weiss felt bad for her mother and herself, and for a million other things she couldn't even specify. Willow was sobbing out of her amplified emotions for how life was for her.

The fights with Jacques; the constant absence of her daughters, the only people who seemed to share in her pain to some extent; the long, pointless hours spent drinking in her room when life was death; the moments when she questioned her existence, over and over again.

She was stuck in this endless loop of death, repeating over day as if it were the same, only with very minor and subtle changes sometimes. The days still passed; she still got older, but it was as if time didn't exist anymore. And if she tried to kill herself, well, she knew Jacques would probably do something to the children or stop her somehow, like he always did.

Weiss looked up at her mess of a mother, face red from emotion and alcohol, hair messed up from the neglect of care, clothes wrinkled and stained with wine, and tears spilling down her cheeks and smearing her poorly applied makeup that she sometimes wore for no reason in particular.

"I-I'm sorry, Mother," Weiss whispered, unsure as to what exactly she was saying it for, "I'm sorry."

Willow stopped sobbing and looked into her daughter's eyes, her gaze surprising focused for a drunk person.

"Me too," she answered, her voice soft and low. She slumped to her knees, then slid onto her bottom, her legs bent around her thighs. Her face had molded into a numb, cold expression, and her hands sitting limply in front of her knees.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be the mother you deserved to have."

Weiss looked up at that sentence, surprised and confused. Her mother had more fresh tears running down her face as she stared with wide eyes at the floor. She bent over a little, hoping to make eye contact, but Willow just stared into nothingness as she continued on with her words.

"I'm sorry I never spent enough time with you...with Winter, with Whitley. Even your father didn't get enough attention from me as he technically should've had, not like he deserved it. But I still could've had, and I didn't."

Weiss felt her heart start to beat harder, her emotions beginning to rise up again after her tiny break, and she tried to understand why her mother had all of the sudden began confessing all of this just now.

"And now there's no turning back," Willow continued, shaking her head from side to side ever so slightly and closing her eyes, "I can't just...go back and spend time with all of you, not in the way I should. None of you are children anymore, and me and your father aren't in love anymore."

Weiss blinked.

"Wait, but I thought he only married you for the family name-"

"He did," Willow interrupted sternly, her voice mildly raised and filled with anger, "But I didn't just marry him because I _wanted _to end up dying by suicide, with no one left who loved me or even cared if I died. He had to flatter me first, obviously. I _was _in love with him."

"You-you're going to actually try and kill yourself?" Weiss choked, more tears running down her face, "But...I though you gave up on that! And I care...I just haven't exactly, well, I just haven't been able to express it...sort of."

"I already have," Willow whispered, "And you don't need to express anything for me. I'm a terrible woman and a terrible mother. If there's anything you should do, kill your father for me and save your freedom and your brother's."

Weiss, still confused and even more frantic to keep her mother from taking her life, held up her hands, racking her brain for something to do, something to say that could change her mother's mind.

"W-what do you mean, you already did?!" she stammered, "And it's okay! I forgive you for-for whatever it is you think you need forgiveness for! None of this is your fault; it's all Father's! Just please don't leave...I know I don't see you and such, but...but you're my family. I don't hate you."

Willow gave a tired, unenthusiastic, drunk laugh and shook her head.

"Trying to play huntress, huh?" she said after she had finished her bout, "No, no, it's okay. I know you don't hate me, honey, but I hate myself, Jacques hates me, and I hate the world, so there isn't much going for me here anymore. My good days are over, now I'm in hell, so I might as well get myself out of here."

Weiss shook her head and felt another hot stream of tears pouring down her face.

"But Mother," she cried, clasping her hand and holding it tightly, "I just feel like...well, I just don't want you to die!"

"Why not?" Willow asked, her eyes not even on her.

"I don't know!" Weiss shouted, her words echoing through the hallway and traveling through every room in sight. A long, haunting silence followed, and before she knew it she was sobbing again and her mother was shaking very hard. Weiss looked up after a few more moments, trying to calm down, and noticed her mother's movement.

"M-Mother?" she asked, her eyes going wide as she took hold of both of Willow's hands, with were now vibrating violently. Willow looked up from her hands and locked eyes with her daughter, glassy eyed and almost distant looking. Her breathing had also quickened, and was now really starting to scare her.

"Tell your sister what I told you," Willow said, giving her a weak, dreary smile, "And your brother, because I think he might not say anything about it. He's a nice little jerk, Whitely. Was always a cranky baby."

She started laughing again, but sounded a lot less energetic and just weak and delirious, which was even scarier.

Weiss felt a state of panic beginning to fill her and her heart rate increased. She held her mother's wrists tighter, her eyes wide with fear, and shook them, wondering what else to do. She had no idea what was happening, but this was terrifying.

"Mother, what's wrong?" she asked quickly, her voice getting louder with each word she said, "Stop shaking like that! Are you okay? Mother, please talk to me! Mother!"

Willow chuckled and then looked up at the sky, smiling another big, dreamy smile before standing effortfully to her feet, despite Weiss' tight grip. She looked at the window and roughly punched the glass, shattering it and allowing a large hole to appear. A cold draft blew in from the opening and she laughed again.

"Sorry, Jacques, dear!" she yelled drunkly at the window as she staggered backwards, "I hope I didn't waste some of your _lien_! Don't mind me, though, because I didn't accidentally cut my hand _at all_!"

Weiss stood up and tried to steady her mother and sit her down, but Willow continued to shout, her voice echoing through the halls. A slow but steady stream of blood began to flow from her cut fist, dripping onto the blue carpet and creating little purple drops.

"Mother, you need to calm down!" Weiss pleaded, pulling at Willow, "Please!"

* * *

"This wall sure is something," Blake commented as they passed alongside its strong stone exterior, "It must've been rebuilt recently to look this good and new. Otherwise, I'd be fairly impressed at how they must maintain it."

The others nodded, pondering its fairly royal appearance and how smooth it was. To think that Weiss lived there wasn't surprising, it was just something else. The thought of anyone they knew living there was a little foreign, so it wasn't much different when they imagined Weiss living there. The colors of the place even matched her.

They noticed a few of the security guards wondering around a small distance away, giving them a few glances, but nothing more.

"As long as we keep walking," Jaune said to the other's, his voice low, "I think we're good. Just keep looking at the mail station ahead of us, if you can see it right over there. We need to make our stop _very _quick and subtle."

He turned to Oscar, who was staring at the path they were walking on.

"Be ready to turn us all invisible if need be," he whispered. Oscar looked up and nodded at Jaune, returning his gaze back to the ground below. He was worried about Ruby. At least she wasn't by herself and she had Maria's kind hand over her, but Ruby had been pretty sick when he left. He was highly concerned about her and his babies.

_Hopefully her aura protects them as much as it can, and hopefully this illness isn't so bad it would damage Ruby at all. I swear, if anything were to happen to her, I'd freak..._

"This is it," Jaune said, just loud enough for the others to hear, "We're just about there. I think I saw someone in the window just over there, and I'm pretty sure it was her."

The others all looked eagerly up at the window, hoping more than ever right now that Weiss was actually standing right there, focussing very hard on them, if she could see them.

_C'mon, Weiss! _Jaune willed as they neared the spot, _We need you to be ready!_

* * *

Weiss turned and saw Klein hurrying through the hallway in front of them, holding a kitchen towel and a shiny silver goblet he must have been in the process of drying. He looked very worried at the scene in front of him.

"Klein!" Weiss shouted, relieved, "Hurry! I don't know what she's doing and-and...just hurry!" More tears flowed down her face and joined the droplets of her mother's blood on the carpet.

"I'm coming, Miss Schnee, Mrs. Schnee!" Klein answered back, nearly arriving at the scene, "I'm coming! Don't worry!"

Willow didn't even seem to notice the butler puffing towards them, and she gave one last look at Weiss and then the window before her eyes suddenly rolled into her head and she fell backwards, her back smacking onto the floor.

Weiss screamed upon reflex as her mother lay there, eyes shut and an ugly look on her red face as blood dripped from her first onto the carpet. Klein skidded to a halt beside them and leaned over placing two fingers on Willow's neck in a quick, formal, but urgent manner.

"Her heart rate is dangerously high, Miss Schnee," Klein informed her with hurriedness in his voice, "Come quickly; we must hurry to the nurse at once."

He scooped up the drunk, unconscious woman and clambered his way down the hallway with surprising speed for his structure and the weight he was carrying. Weiss rushed after him, forgetting everything but what her mother had told her just before.

_Is this what she meant by killing herself?! But-But how? What is happening right now?!_

As Weiss ran alongside Klein, she stared at her mother's face, unsure if she was afraid of her dying or just startled by the suddenness of this event. Watching anyone die or go insane, friend or foe, scared Weiss, so she really didn't know what she was feeling about Willow.

Then she looked up at Klein, who's eyes were light brown, focused ahead with some kind of calm urgency that she had always admired about him. It seemed like in any situation, he knew what to do. He was almost like a father to her, or an uncle, in some sense.

"H-hang in there, Mother," Weiss murmured, looking back down at her mother, who bounced slightly in Klein's arms as the duo ran as fast as they could through the hallways.

After a minute or so, they arrived at the nurse's ward, where three nurse's immediately greeted them. They had heard the commotion approaching from the corridors and had hurried out to see what it was. Seeing Willow Schnee unconscious was all they needed to see in order to take action at once.

The three nurses grabbed Willow from Klein's arms and hurried away into the tending room, laying her on the bed and quickly setting up everything they needed for tests and caregiving. Klein looked softly at Weiss, a knowing look on his face, and carefully lead her from the ward, his hand on her back.

When they were standing outside of it, the sounds of medical commotion very audible from the inside, neither of them said a word. They both just stared at the entrance to the nurse's ward, watching as a nurse carrying something ran occasionally past.

Weiss felt as if she had a million different thoughts and feelings rambling inside her head all at the same time, and also as if her mind was completely blank at the moment. The abruptness of it all and the thought of actually having someone in her family die, someone that shared in her pain, was a confusing feeling.

Her stomach tied into a knot as she tried to digest the concept. Her heart raced, her hands trembled, and her knees shook. Her forehead was damp with sweat and then, she suddenly felt very sad. She wasn't even entirely sure what the main reason for that sadness was, but it was there, crashed over her like a wave.

Klein patiently watched the entrance to the ward, wondering what Weiss thought of all of it. Maybe she wouldn't really care, or maybe she would be deviated. One thing, he knew, she wouldn't feel, was glad. He knew she didn't hate her mother like she did her father, and the effect of loosing her mother varied.

But suddenly, he was nearly knocked over by Weiss, who had jumped into his arms and threw her arms around his neck. Burying her head in her shoulder, she began to silently cry. There weren't a large amount of tears, but the small amount that was there tickled Klein's neck.

Closing his eyes, he returned her hug, knowing that Weiss really needed it. Slowly, he unembraced her and they returned back to their original stances, standing next to each other once again.

"Do you think she'l be okay?" Weiss asked after a few moments, breaking the silence that had been laying in the air. Klein sighed and shook his head, his hands folded formally behind his back.

"I'm not sure," he answered softly, "I've seen her bad, but never this bad. I fear her condition is more than just a product of intoxication."

Weiss blinked and her eyes held more concern.

"Like what?" she asked timidly. Klein shook his head.

"I don't know," he answered. The two of them looked at each other, a hopelessness seeming to hovering in between both people. After a crazy flurry of loud calls of instruction, carts being wheeled here and there, and general organized chaos, Klein and Weiss were met by a different nurse holding a clipboard.

"W-what's wrong with her?" Weiss stammered after she founder her breath again, "Is sh-she okay?"

The nurse looked down, unclear as to if she was looking at her clipboard or hanging her head in negatively. Then she looked back up at them, a sober look on her face. Weiss felt her breath get sucked away at the woman's soberness.

"We don't think so," the nurse said, "As for what seems to be causing her condition, we have a decent idea. Would you care to hear it, or would you rather leave that for us to report to Mr. Schnee?"

Weiss and Klein exchanged glances before Klein answered quietly,

"Yes, we will hear it."

The nurse nodded and glanced at her clipboard, her grave expression growing slightly as she re-read what was written out in the results.

"Well," she began, "She is very, _very_ drunk, and it seems that the severity of her intoxication is taking its toll on her health. Several of her physical receptors and reflexes have been impaired, her body tempurature had dropped dangerously low, and she is starting to fall into a coma."

Weiss gasped, holding her hand to her mouth.

_Mother..._

"We're afraid her coma will not last very long," the nurse went on, "And not in a good way. It seems her coma will be short lived before she...well, before she passes. It should be a calm death, but if she wakes up beforehand, it will _not _be pleasant."

Klein gently patted Weiss' back, knowing what was coming.

"But aside of her severe intoxication, there has been something else that we have detected, something that was not hard to find."

"What?" Weiss asked, her voice very quiet.

"Drug overdose."

* * *

"Do you see her?" Ren asked, looking over at Jaune.

Jaune looked up at the window he had thought he'd seen her in. To his shock, he saw no one. Weiss wasn't standing there, waiting for them. A hot, prickling sensation went down his back at that moment, and he suddenly felt a horrible feeling that something was about to go very wrong.

"Jaune?" Nora said, confused as to why her leader wasn't answering Ren, "What's wrong."

Jaune swallowed nervously, his hands beginning to tremble and sweat building up on his palms. He looked over the group, who were all looking expectantly at him, and shook his head, dead serious. They all seemed to inwardly panic for a moment before taking a look at the window themselves.

"Guys..," Yang said, glancing over at a pair of security guards who were staring at them, "I think we kinda need to like, get moving or something because there's some guards looking at us."

Jaune looked backwards, spotting the guards, and felt another prickling sensation.

_Weiss, where are you?!_

"Can anyone see her in any of the other windows?" Jaune asked quickly, starting to really panic now. The others were quick to start looking, and their rapid efforts were also noticed by the guards, who slowly pulled out their scrolls and notified the other wing of security to keep an eye on the possibly suspicious "visitors" walking past.

"I don't see her!" Nora said, worried, "Where do you think she is?"

"I dunno," Yang said, also feeling the high tension of things rising, "But if she doesn't come, we need to get out here, quick."

Qrow frowned and squinted, looking through the windows. Hearing the others' panicked squabbling, he rolled his eyes and jumped up into the air, transforming in a small burst of feathers into a crow. Flying easily over the gate, he inwardly grinned as the group watched him fly away, eyes wide with realization.

He glided up to the windows, looking in through the clear glass. He flew by each and every window that she could possibly be in twice, checking every detail in the hallway for any sign of her. To his surprise, he saw that one of the windows had a hole smashed in it, tiny remnants of blood on it, along with a few drops on the carpet.

Flying back to the group, he transformed once again, landing on his feet.

"We need to get outa here," he panted, "I don't know where Weiss is, but there's blood by the window and a hole's smashed in it. The guards noticed our idleness and their calling us suspicious. If we keep moving, we should be fine. If we come back, they won't let us pass without a valid explanation."

They all exchanged glances, panicked and afraid.

"Um, what?" Jaune asked. Hearing the words "Weiss" and "blood" in the same sentence was not something he wanted to hear. If she was hurt for some reason, someone was going to get a beating from him. And that someone would be the one who hurt her, and they would pay full price for it.

"It's what I saw," Qrow said, his face and tone matching in severity, "Now we need to either leave and just get the Relic without her, or smash in their, get through security, and then grab her somehow."

"Well, there's really no point in risking so much just for her assistance," Blake reasoned, "We might just be able to get it ourselves."

"But Weiss could be hurt!" Yang protested, her eyes threatening to go red, "We can't just leave her wherever she is if she's in danger!"

"That's an if, Yang," Oscar answered, looking hard at the window, "It sure is suspicious, but we can't risk anything for something we aren't completely sure of. Regret is common when people rush to conclusions and then take action."

Qrow frowned at the sight of four more security guards, all looking right at them with suspicious looks on their faces. He glanced at the group, then at the window, then back at the security guards again.

"They're onto us," he muttered, just loud enough for the group to hear, "We need to leave, now."

Jaune sighed heavily and shook his head. Why didn't any plan they make every work? There was always something! Never had they ever gone through with something without opposition.

"Let's get going," he said, feeling defeated.

"Gosh, dang it!" Yang cursed, her eyes now bright red, "Why do we always mess up?!"

Jaune glanced back at the guards and then quickly began to lead the group away, watching the partially smashed window the entire time.

_Oh, Weiss, please tell me that you're okay and that isn't your blood on that window!_

* * *

The nurse's answer was almost blurted out, flatly and yet said with a wince. Weiss felt like facepalming herself with Myrtenaster. Of course it had been drug overdose! That's what Willow had meant by killing herself. And without spilling a drop of blood in the process. Well, somewhat.

"So...she doesn't have long?" Weiss finished, her eyes void of the tears she had expected. The nurse answered her with a simple nod, a sorry look on her face. Weiss just nodded and turned around, wrapping her arms around herself and wondering what to do next.

Looking up at the long hallways in front of her, she debated between staying and seeing if Willow would say anything before she died or going back to where she had been before, doing what she was doing.

_Wait, what was I doing before? I was waiting for..._

Weiss' eyes widened and a sudden realization shot through her. The group! The mission! They were probably waiting for her, and if they had come right after she had rushed with Klein to the nurse's ward, then they were possibly dealing with security or something.

"K-Klein!" Weiss suddenly shouted, whipping around and locking eyes with the butler.

"What is it, Miss Schnee?" he asked, worried, "Are you alright?"

"I-I need to go!" she cried, glancing back at the hallway, then at Klein again, "Remember? The plan? I have to go-now; tell Winter I had to leave for mission purposes and if Father asks, tell him you have no idea!"

She began running backwards, her eyes still on Klein.

"Thank you so much for everything you've been doing! You're a big help and I'll miss you really bad! Goodbye, Klein!"

And without a second thought or glance, she turned around and bolted through the hallway, summoning several speed glyphs below and in front of her in a perfect row. Her speed increased and she flew through the corridors, the wind she was producing wiping her ponytail wildly behind her.

Soon enough, the window she had been standing by earlier, waiting for them, appeared in view. She was going far too fast to slow down at the moment, and then, just barely in sight, she saw the group walking towards a post office near the edge of the Manor. They were leaving, without her.

She could see the security guards carefully watching them go, and then, just as she was about to blur past the window, she shut her eyes, turned, skidding on her heels, and smashed through the window in a spray of glass that rained down onto the ground below. When she opened her eyes, she saw the ground far below, the guards staring wide eyed at her, and then the fact that she was flying forward towards the wall.

Summoning a row of black glyphs in front of her, she fell through them, her momentum decreasing, and then she formed a white glyph in front of the black ones she had fell through, landing on it. Forming another glyph behind her, she flipped off the glyph she was standing on and then boosted herself off the next on, rocketing towards the group.

In an instant, she realized that the group was just about right in front of her, and before she could stop herself, she bowled right through the group, knocking several of them over and ending up with nearly the whole group in one big, groaning heap. But that heap didn't last long before Weiss leaped back onto her feet, dazed, and began making a mad run for the post office.

"Oscar, now!" Jaune shouted, his voice cracking as he screamed the command. Oscar nodded briefly before his hands quickly glowed bright green and the whole group was emersed in the glow. Soon after, they all vanished from view, and joined Weiss in dashing for the office.

They heard several shouts from behind them, but they ignored them as they ran as fast as they could.

"We shouldn't go in the mail station!" Qrow yelled, "We should just head into the woods!"

"Got it!" Jaune shouted back. It was a little odd to hear each other's voices right by one another, and yet not be able to see them, but hear their steps and breathing, their panting and the sounds of their weapons clanging and such as they ran.

The trees were right in front of them, and the sounds of the guards seemed faded...

"Um, guys?!" Nora called, "I-I think they're driving after us!"

They all looked behind them at the small security vehicles now speeding after them, the SDC emblem painted on the sides of them. A large cloud of dust and snow blew out from under them as they followed them, closer and closer.

"Gosh, dang it!" Yang shouted.

"They can't even see us!" Ren yelled, "Do we need to worry?"

"No!" Oscar answered loudly, his voice calm and out of breath, "We just need to get into the forest and stay still. They won't be able to see us, and if we're quiet, they won't be able to hear us, either. They'll leave soon enough!"

"If you say so, Captain!" Nora answered, sounding a mix between excited and frantic.

* * *

**Oooooh boy! Writing this chapter was exciting, to say the least. I know it's VERY long, over 8,000 words long, so I hope none of you really mind. It would be longer, but I decided to stop it right here and finish this part of it in chapter 23. **

**Answering my lovely, loyal guest who posts the super nice reviews: Nope, until the babies are born, I strongly encourage the continuation of name-sending. HUGE thanks to DavidQrowWashington, Haxorus knight, and the two guests who have all sent in names. All names that have been sent and (hopefully) will be sent have been put into consideration and are currently in a list. (Yes, I actually have decided on one of them...at least for now, hehe.)**

**Quick note, everyone on board, we are (I think) about halfway done with the story! Thank you ALL for the reviews, favs, and follows. **

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters!**


	23. No More Block-ups, Please!

The group stood there, panting heavily in the shadows of the several trees surrounding them. The approaching guards on their vehicles were nearing to an uncomfortable closeness, and despite the knowledge that they were invisible, they couldn't help but feel like the guards were going to spot them somehow.

Oscar focused hard, wishing that whoever was breathing heavily close to him would quiet down. He couldn't tell who it was, but he wasn't going to address them anyway, for the sake of not being noticed. He could feel his aura slowly draining, and he mentally thought to ask Jaune to ampify it for him.

_No, that would cause a glowy light or whatever. Can't do that. _

Weiss stood beside Oscar, panting for breath. Her sudden exertion, along with the abrupt change of her surroundings and the whole mental insanity she was currently on hold with had knocked the air out of her lungs, leaving her gasping for it. She was still partially unsure if she was even with her friends right now.

Ren and Nora just stood there, their hands intertwined to ensure that they didn't get separated at the moment, for assurance, and for the sake of love. Though Nora had been the one to grab his hand first as they had begun running, Ren had been slightly more relieved than her.

Qrow was standing close to Jaune, his eyes fixed on the security guards that were only a few yards away. His thoughts went from Ruby, to the guards, to their plan, to the person he suspected was possibly following them.

_At least this plan might not flunk,_ he said to himself, _The guards won't notice us, we'll get to the academy, we do whatever it is Oscar claimed he could do with Ozpin, we get the Relic, and then we leave. Shouldn't be too bad...Me, Raven, Summer, and Tai have gone through worse. Well, then again, that's assuming my luck won't intervene too severely. _

He rolled his eyes.

_Ugh, who am I kidding. Of course my semblance will intervene at some point. I'll just hope I can control it somehow. It's not easy, and most of the time I can't control it at all. But I have been able to, at least a little. _

Shaking his head, he kept his gaze one the scene ahead of him, hoping that Oscar's current semblance didn't give out just at the right time. The chance was there, unfortunately, but it was somewhat slim. Oscar was a strong young man.

The security drove their vehicles to a halt in front of the trees, a few feet away. A small cloud of dust drifted from where the wheels stopped, floating away and disappearing. The guards all jumped out from their places, their guns out, and approached the trees.

"Where'd they go?" one of them asked, confused.

"I dunno," another answered, annoyed, "But we can't let them get away! Miss Schnee just fell through the window and joined them! Perhaps they were a threat to her, or bribing her or something."

The other security guards nodded in agreement before entering the woods and looking cautiously around.

"Stay close together!" one of them, a taller, more responsible looking man called, "They could be skilled infiltrators or spies and could be lurking about anywhere; don't let them surprise and overtake you!"

"Yes, sir!" they all shouted back with respect.

Blake glared at the guards, knowing they couldn't see her, while Yang held herself back from throwing herself forward and smashing their faces in. Nora and Ren held in their breath as the guards neared awfully close, Weiss took a deep breath, silently, and Oscar continued to focus.

"What in Remnant..?" a different guard said, stopping in his tracks right in front of Yang, "Hey, look guys! There's a random venting of hot air right here, if you pay attention!"

He chuckled and waved his hand in front of her mouth and nose, noticing the warmth coming from her air she was exhaling. Two of the guards joined him, curious as to what their comrade was saying, and soon enough, they, too, were laughing as they observed it.

"Hey, man, you're right!" one of them said, "How odd!"

Yang, who hated not breathing, decided that perhaps, since they were mostly covered by trees and there wasn't much of a chance that the other guards wouldn't accidentally bump into one of the members of the group, she might as well fight them off. It wouldn't be causing too much of a scene right?

"I wonder what's causing it!" a forth said, reaching in front of the others' hands and laying a hand right on a thick lock of her her hair. His eyes widened when he felt it, and a confused look came onto his face.

Yang felt a strong compulsion to crush the guy's arm and crush his fingers and wrist. Her eyes flicked red and her pulse rose.

"Now, Oscar," she muttered darkly to Oscar, who was right next to her. She heard him click his teeth in a slick, affirmative answer, and she smirked as she got ready to do what she wanted to do best at the moment.

Taking his hand off, the guard blinked and began stroking her hair, very much confused.

"Hey, man," he mumbled, turning to the guard next to him, "I don't know what's right here, cuz there's literally nothing here, but it feels like hair or something...What is this, some kind of insanely camouflaged tree-"

Just before he finished his sentence, he looked back at where he was feeling, only to lock eyes with an angry, grinning, bright red-eyed huntress. He could just barely let out an alarmed shout before her fists punched him terribly hard in the face, sending him skidding on the ground.

"Time to attack, guys!" Yang called, rushing forward and pummeling the first guard she saw. After downing him, she slid on her knees, propelled forward with a shot from her gauntlets, and tripped the next guard, making him fall. She leaped to her feet and smashed the guard's back, making him smack into the ground and not get up.

Right after, she dashed at two different guards who were shooting at her. She dodged every bullet, shot herself upwards above them, and fired several punch shots at them, downing them as well.

Oscar, relieved that he was no longer straining his aura like he was, swung around, his cane extended, and smacked it into the face of an oncoming guard, using it to trip him and then punched him roughly in the stomach, sending him into a tree. Spinning his cane around, the tip of it hit the other three circling him, and they were finished off my a few swipes and slices from Ren.

Weiss summoned a few glyphs, boosted herself off of them, and dealt several well-placed strikes to two of them. As for Nora and Qrow, they simply smashed the rest of them with their sword and hammer, occasionally shooting once or twice.

The whole patch of security guards were very easy to defeat, and the whole group finished them off in about a total one minute and thirty-four seconds. Looking around at each other, then the groaning and unconscious guards laying on the ground around them, sighed with satisfaction.

"Well, that was super easy!" Yang said brightly, happy to get some fight out of her, "Barely an inconvenience!"

Nora nodded her head wildly in agreement.

"Indeed it was!" she said energetically, a wide smile on her face, "We totally _crushed _those puny security guards! That place should really get better back up, don't ya think?"

"Well, I mean, that's really one of the main reasons huntsmen and huntresses exist," Blake said with a shrug, "So, considering that we fight on the level that we do, and the fact that they need people to fight like that, really shows that lighter methods of defense exist."

"Eh," Qrow mumbled, "Let's just keep moving. It's only a matter of time before Jacques sends out a bunch more security and some notifications out to Atlas security to be on the watch for us...or anyone suspicious."

The other's exchanged glances, nodding to each other, and looked towards Atlas Academy, the top of its tallest tower just barely visible in the distance. Although it was right in view, and they weren't too far from it, it still felt like it was going to take forever to get there.

"Is everybody ready?" Qrow asked, glancing with a raised brow at everyone as he folded Harbinger and slid it away.

"Yup!" Yang answered, loading her gauntlets and giving him a wink.

"Uh huh!" Nora said, grinning wildly.

"Yes," Blake and Ren both answered somewhat flatly.

"Yep," Jaune said with a nod.

Oscar just nodded, a serious and thoughtful look on his face. Qrow nodded at everyone's answers, but wondered why Weiss hadn't. Averting his gaze from the others' he found Weiss standing stick straight, staring at the ground below her, eyes wide with what looked like a mix of fear and shock.

"Weiss?" he asked slowly, raising his brow again. Jaune looked over at her, and immediately, his heart went out to her. He slid his sword into his sheath and hurried to her side.

"W-Weiss? Are you okay?" he asked, confused as to why she was suddenly so upset, "What's the matter?"

"I-I..," Weiss stammered, trying to grasp what she was trying to say and what was going on in her head, "M-my mother...I just left her alone...again."

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, hoping for some clarification. She looked him square in the eyes, a thin layer of tears covering over her eyes and making them shiny. She sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, looking away for a moment before looking over at the entire group.

"My mother," she began, "I-I was waiting for all of you when she came by...drunk..."

"Wait, what?" Yang asked, taking a step forward, "I thought you said she never really talks to you."

"I know," Weiss continued, still wide eyed and looking dazed, "B-but she's currently...in a coma. She's going to die...and I _left _her. Some daughter I am."

She looked down, her fists clenched.

"And we can't really go back because we're on a time limit and we don't want to cause another scene that could get the Atlas Military involved and such."

"Um, what would you do if you did make it back, exactly?" Yang asked.

"I don't know," Weiss answered, "I-I just feel really bad about it. I don't even know what's happening right now. I couldn't at least stayed behind and helped her or something! Maybe just have at least been there for her death?!"

Weiss sighed and covered her face with her hands.

"There are just _so many _mixed feelings," she said, her voice a soft and emotional, "On one hand, I feel almost relieved that Father won't be fighting with someone so much anymore, and I don't have to worry about seeing her drunk anymore, or hearing about any 'problems' she caused. But on the other hand, I feel so upset because she and Winter are the only family I have left who seem to care about me...about each other."

A tear fell from her hands, which likely had a small pool of the salty liquid in them.

"I just..," she whispered, her voice strained and a sniff following, "My family is so messed up. It's so hard to deal with sometimes, even when I'm not even with them."

Jaune's face softened and he put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to lower her hands and look at his calm, deep blue eyes. He gave her a light, comforting smile and then pulled her into a hug. At first, she was surprised, and didn't even think to hug him back. But after a moment, she did, and the two of them stood there, hugging.

"It's going to be okay," he said, his eyes closed and a smile on his face. Despite his calmness and reassurance, there was also a bit of sorrow in his voice, and everyone around them knew where it was coming from.

Weiss sniffed and closed her eyes, hugging him tighter and feeling more tears running down her face and dotting on the sleeve of his black hoodie. Yang smirked at them and then walked over, joining in with their hug and making it a three-person one.

"Yeah," she said, agreeing with Jaune, "It's gonna be alright; you've got us, after all."

Ren and Nora exchanged glances and soon after, were added to the hug, and before they knew it, everyone but Oscar and Qrow were hugging Weiss and each other, smiling. Oscar and Qrow just stood next to each other, watching with light smirks as they all stood there in one big group.

"I wish I knew them all as much as they know each other," Oscar commented, his arms folded like Qrow's, "I want to join their hug, but I feel like that'd be a little awkward." He blushed a little and looked down at the thought.

Qrow chuckled.

"Good to see you've still got some of yourself after all, kid," he said, giving Oscar one of his soft looks, "You've been a whole lot of Ozpin lately." Oscar looked down even more at that sentence, feeling that lingering shadowy feeling of fear come over him.

"Yeah," he said, nodding his head slightly, "I haven't wanted to. It's a little scary seeing how much of him I've been showing. I think it's been scaring Ruby, too. She even told me herself, and that breaks my heart."

"Yup," Qrow nodded, "And I'm quite concerned about her. She was burning up when we left. Poor kid."

Oscar sighed and shook his head a little, averting his gaze back to the sweet scene in front of him and trying not to think about the numerous worries that constantly nagged and clawed at him day in and out.

"I just hope she and the babies are okay," he said, worried, "I dunno what kind of effects her condition has been giving her. It's done a number on her, but the babies?" He sounded exasperated.

"So they are twins," Qrow said, his voice low, "I'm not surprised."

Oscar shrugged.

"We've come to that conclusion," he answered, "Seeing how, according to you, she's nearly twice the size Summer was with her at that stage of pregnancy. As well as size, the amount of movement she has been experiencing is proportionate that of two fetuses-"

He paused as if confused at his own statement, then shook his head and continued on.

"Basically, it looks like she has two babies, not one."

Qrow nodded, even feeling a little unsettled at how Oscar had just began slipping into 'Ozpin mode' for a moment there. Sure, it wasn't exactly compltely like somethign the headmaster would say in words, but it was certainly a large portion of the wording.

Nodding his head, Qrow looked back to the six teenagers embracing each other, some silently crying, some not crying at all, and all smiling. He felt good seeing them all like this, but missing Ruby in this mix made it feel a little hollow. She belonged in this moment, and yet, she wasn't there.

Sighing, he shook his head a little, the moments and events of the previous days shuffling through his head, along with some others from his past. Things were really an odd mix of bittersweet at the moment.

Weiss couldn't help but cry a little more, surrounded in the love she had hungered for so long, and only received from Winter and the people around her.

"Don't ever forget we're here," Blake mumbled in her ear, "We'll always be here for you, as teammates and best friends. Even if you have been a _little _salty once and a while."

The group chuckled and shortly after, unembraced. They all looked each other in the eyes, smiling, and then began brushing off the warm, sweet atmosphere of everything around them.

"So...what do we do now?" Blake asked, seeming to have sort of lost the main objective at the moment, "We have Weiss back, and Ruby's kind of not here at the moment..."

Weiss suddenly seemed to snap to the present, the tear stains on her face and the wet in her eyes not at all matching her now current appearance. A look of soberness had crossed her face, and now she looked mildly worried.

"Ruby," she said, facing Jaune again, "Why isn't she coming? Is she okay? What happened?"

The group exchanged glances, some of them surprised at the fact that Jaune hadn't told her or something. But altogether, they all realized that Weiss didn't know about Ruby and Oscar. She hadn't a single clue, and she was likely unprepared for the shocking news to come.

"Well..," Jaune began, looking down and scratching the back of his head, "She's kind of..."

Weiss raised a brow, confused and even more worried. "She kind of _what_, Jaune? What is it?"

The group all exchanged more glances, as if mentally debating how to approach the answer to her question. Qrow looked down, shaking his head, and then raised his brow at Oscar, who was feeling decently embarrassed and afraid. He gave him a look, seeming to imply something.

_Flat out or sugar coated?_

Oscar sighed and took a step forward, mentally and physically resisting the task he was about to perform. His hands bunched into fists and his cheeks began to glow a little, warming his face. Taking a breath, he exhaled slowly, feeling nervous at Weiss' expectant blue stare.

"Ruby is..," he began, deciding all at once to simply blurt it out as Qrow had suggested, "Ruby's pregnant. With my kid."

Weiss opened her mouth to say something, but stopped short, her eyes widening with surprise, shock, and absolute confusion. She held up a finger, taking a breath to talk, but stopped again, blinking with puzzlement.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking like the breath had been knocked out of her, "_What_?!"

Oscar sighed and looked down, expecting this reaction.

"She's pregnant," he repeated, "And I'm the dad. Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous and I'm not sure if you even though we were ever together, but that's whats's happening right now. She's sick and staying at Maria's house with Maria, and we don't want her to come on the mission with us because we don't want her or the babies getting hurt, plus she's sick...very sick, and-Oh, did I mention that we're probably having twins?!"

Oscar gasped for a deep breath after his sudden blurting out. Weiss blinked again, taking it all in for a moment like it had been a massive wave that had crashed into her. Her teammate, who was a whole two years younger than her, the pure, innocent, somewhat naive girl training to be a huntress, her _leader_, was expecting a baby.

Now, as to why that whole concept shook her so hard and made her feel so odd and strange about Ruby, she didn't know. But with the added confusion and emotional craziness of her mother's inevitable and approaching death, along with the sudden change in atmosphere, and then the news of Ruby's pregnancy was too much for her.

She felt her legs trembling and her head swimming. It was only a moment later that she found herself in Jaune's arms, half standing, half leaning against his chest while he half held her. Her eyes were half open, and she was half awake. A while lot of halves.

"Weiss?" Jaune asked loudly, waking her fully, "You okay?"

Weiss stood up on her feet, straightening herself, and brushed herself off for no reason in particular. She felt her cheeks glowing some as she looked at him, thinking about how he had caught her again and helped her. Memories of his CPR from a few weeks earlier flashed in her head and she shook them away.

But with those memories and this moment came a new realization.

_Ruby's with Oscar, which means that Jaune can't have her anymore. That means...that means that he has no one right now, and he's probably sad about it. Maybe, from the fact that he liked me before, I could tell him how I feel and we could be...together!_

She smiled widely, not realizing that she did it for real, and hugged herself close. Her heart skipped a beat, warm and cheerful, and she turned around to face Jaune, only to open her eyes and remember what was happening.

The group all stared at her as if she were crazy, and she immediately found out why. Zipping back to the present again, she cleared her throat and quizzically looked at Oscar, a brow raised.

"How and why?" she asked, putting a hand on her hip and giving him a salty look. He sighed again and looked down with shame, then back up into her icy glare. He wondered how to explain it, considering for a moment to ask Blake to summarize things again like she did with Maria.

Then he finally came up with a decision. Clearing his throat, he took a step forward.

"Well...it's a bit complicated. Just know that neither of us would ever do something as foolish as that under normal circumstances. Things were a bit...odd, I'll just say, and we don't have time to discuss it."

Weiss raised her brow higher, looking hard at him for a few moments, then shook her head and turned around to the others.

"You're lucky I'm just relieved that she's...fine," she said stubbornly, "You're also lucky that I care about her very much and would do just about anything to ensure her safety and wellbeing. So that being said, I'm not going to ask about it until I can talk to her myself, okay?"

"Got it?" Oscar said, partially confused. Weiss nodded at him and then out her sword away, which had still been in her hand from her escape.

"Dang it!" Yang yelled, scaring half the group out of their wits, "She took that _way _better than I expected!"

Ren sighed and rolled his eyes, reaching his hand out towards Yang, who grudgingly slapped fifteen lien into it. Nora looked surprised and delighted at Ren, who just shrugged at her, confusing her even more. Qrow, Weiss, Jaune, and Oscar stared at Yang, partially surprised, partially disgusted, partially annoyed, and a smidgen humored.

"You're..._betting_?!" Weiss snapped, leaning more on the disgusted side, "At a time like this? Unbelievable!"

"Why would you do something like that?" Jaune asked, clearly confused, "I mean, of all people, Yang, I thought you'd be one to condemn someone who bet on your pregnant sister...or, well, someones reaction to the news of your pregnant sister. A-and _you _Ren, betting?!"

He covered his face with his hand and sighed.

"What is going on right now..."

"Look, we don't exactly have a bunch of time right now," Qrow interrupted, "So if we wanna get that Relic before any Atlas Military come out looking for us, assuming that Jacques already sent some out, or will, if he hasn't, we'd better scram. Now."

"Yeah, I think we should really get going," Oscar agreed, scratching the back of his head.

Weiss looked slowly up at the smashed window of the Manor, a million thoughts and emotions passing through her as she did. She was mentally torn between going back to her mother, or staying with the group as planned. No, she couldn't go back to the Manor, not after what she did to get out. Everyone would notice her, too, so what was the point. She couldn't even help her mother.

"I think we can beat that Relic guardian or whatever, pretty easily," Yang said, smashing her fists together and grinning, "I bet even me and Qrow could drop them, seeing as we're both epic fighters.

"We are all somewhat equally skilled," Blake added in, "And that level of skill is decently high, so I'm sure we can get past whoever is guarding the Vault."

"Let's do this, guys," Jaune said, stepping to the front of the group, "Let's finish our objective and get out of here."

"Alright!" Nora yelled excitedly, "Let's get that Relic!" Ren shook his head, lightly smirking, and gently shushed Nora with a simple gesture. A few security guards still lingered by the part of the gate where they had been standing before. Didn't want them to hear.

The group all looked up at the barely visible outline of Atlas Academy in the distance, an eager feeling filing them at the sight. It was time to put the most important step of the plan into action. Now.

Taking a deep breath, Jaune began leading them forward, all at a somewhat faster pace, leaving behind the groaning and mostly unconscious security guards laying in the snow behind them.

* * *

The group walked swiftly through the streets of Atlas City Main, all bunched closely together. Jaune stood at the front with Oscar, Nora, and Ren behind him, and then all the others following. Qrow followed at the back, watching carefully around them in case of anything suspicious.

The snow was falling again, this time, to the group's relief, softly and lightly with no chance of evolving into any kind of blizzard. The streets were just as busy as they had been when they first entered, except, now not everyone was as rushed. So that was nice.

"Which way to the Academy?" Jaune asked, leaning his head slightly back so that Oscar could hear. Oscar looked ahead, trying to remember the exact location of the Academy and how to get to it.

"It's..," he began, squinting and looking around, "That way." He pointed to a road leading to the right, the way it lead hidden by the buildings that lined it. Jaune nodded affirmatively and then steered the group onto the road. No one said anything as they walked, a tense atmosphere of focus thick in the air.

A few people walking past or looking through windows gave the group a few stares, probably because of the weapons on their backs and the serious looks on their faces as they marched through the streest all together in one cluster. But no one tried to stop them or question them and simply continued on their way.

It was about a half hour later when they all found themselves standing right in front of Atlas Academy, its massive, grand structure awing nearly every person in the group. It's tall, magnificent walls glistened off the reflexions of the tall lights that shone on it from a few yards away, hanging from large posts.

The other parts of the building, other than the intimidating walls, held many windows that revealed warmly lit rooms, contrasting with the cold feel and look of the place. The main colors of the whole academy consisted of whites, silvers, and a few different shades of blues and grays.

Numerous towers, lined with rows and rows of lights emanating from windows surrounded the main structure of the place, giving it the feel and look of a single city. The whole academy looked like a civilization or something.

The high roof of the main square of the top went up and up until it formed a tower of some sort, showing a large glass panel that revealed the barely visible shapes of a desk or something, likely the headmaster's office. A second, much smaller level resembling a balcony stood above the office, seeming to contain nothing but another place to stand and view what stood below.

"Wow..," Jaune marveled, his eyes wide as he took in the Academy's appearance, "That's some place!"

"Eh," Yang said with a shrug, "Beacon looked better."

"I agree," Blake added, "This place looks...cold."

"Well, I mean, it _is _wintertime here," Nora said as if it were completely obvious, "Why wouldn't it look that way?"

Blake shook her head, looking mildly exasperated at the thought of trying to explain to Nora what she meant. It was a simple concept, but she didn't feel like waisting a few seconds talking about it. It was time to focus.

"Alright, we're here," Jaune said, turning to Oscar, "Now what?"

Oscar squinted and looked up at the tower part of the Academy, mentally computing his plans and the general layout of the place, as far as he could remember from Ozpin, anyway.

"Now we need to get to the top of the tower," he answered, still looking up at it, "But we don't want anyone to think we're up to something."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Weiss asked, sounding a bit salty. Oscar continued to stare at the top of the tower, then looked back at her, smirking and answering in an almost playful tone.

"I'll teleport us there.

They all exchanged glances and the nodded, shrugging. Oscar closed his eyes and focused, trying to think back and sort through all his reincarnations. Teleportation certainly wasn't a recent one, that was for sure. It was somewhat far back. A few moments later, his hands began to glow again, and the whole group following.

The green glow encasing them caught the attention of a few of the people nearby, and they watched with curious eyes, somewhat afraid and partially excited. Sometimes huntsmen or huntresses would show off and display something once and awhile in front of the civilians, so most of them were just curious.

And it was no surprise to them when the whole group suddenly disappeared in a flash, a slightly visible green glow appearing at the very top of the tower right after. Without another thought, everyone payed little heed to the scene and continued on with their lives.

At the top, the group all appeared in a bright green sensation, gasping as a strange hot wave seemed to shoot through them as they landed. Oscar fell to his knees upon landing, panting a little at the effort he had just exerted.

"Well," Yang said, catching her breath from the excitement, "That was efficient!"

"Uh huh!" Nora agreed, giving Yang a cheerful thumbs up.

They all looked around, taking in their surroundings and coming back to themselves. They needed to act quickly and as carefully as possible, not to mention be on the lookout for the Relic guardian or whatever.

The top of the tower was the roof of the headmaster's office, a rather windy spot. They were also _very _high up. In the center of the platform they were standing on was a long thin metal pole, likely a lightning rod or an internet connection device.

A thin metal border lined the sides, only about half a foot high, the edges of the floor lower than the area they were currently standing on. The edges slanted some, making the main platform seem raised, when the sides were simply lower, slanting down.

A cold wind blew steadily west, making everyone feel cold and restless. Looking around, they didn't see a Vault, though. None of them really knew what any of the Vaults looked like, though, other than Oscar, who had Ozpin's memories of those places, and Yang, who had been to one herself.

"Wait, where's the Vault?" Weiss asked, confused.

"Yeah, where is it?" Yang chimed in, looking around, "I don't see one anywhere, at least not like the one I was in. How could a Vault like that even be at a place like this? There's no room and this place is jeepers high!" She shivered at the height they were at, staring down from the edge.

Oscar glanced around, then walked over to the metal pole, scanning it up and down, and then smirking.

"It's right here," he answered, reaching out his hand and placing it gently on the metal rod, closing his eyes and focusing. Everyone exchanged glances, hoping that no lightning would suddenly strike or something, electrocuting their key to the Relic.

"Well, wherever it is, could you hurry things up a bit?" Qrow said restlessly, carefully watching the area they stood in, "I have a bad feeling we're being watched." His hands slowly balled into fists and he squinted at a group of Atlas troops in the distance, far below on the ground.

"I have that feeling as well," Ren said, standing next to Qrow, "My aura senses it."

"As does mine," Oscar answered, his eyes still closed and focused, his voice carrying some form of an Ozpin accent, "Be on your guard."

Nora and Ren nodded to each other and pulled out their weapons, going back to back and keeping their eyes pealed for anything that could possibly disturb their mission. Yang loaded her gauntlets and grounded herself. Blake took out Gambol Shroud, keeping it in gun form, and sighed, wishing she had her full katana at hand.

Weiss, now holding her sword, stood straight near Oscar, her eyes fixed on the Schnee Manor. Although she had set the majority of her mind and focus on their mission at present, she couldn't help but think about how her mother was doing.

Was she still in her short coma? Had she already passed? Or had she miraculously woken up, still alive, and was now recovering from her fatal condition? Had her father found out yet? Had he found that she herself was missing yet? Was he doing anything about either?

Shaking her head, she tried to avert her complete and undivided attention on their current situation, but she couldn't completely and fully pull her mind from her family. It didn't help that they had probably seen the smashed window, too...

Oscar felt the hot energy coursing through his body and flowing through his hands into the metal pole. But this was not semblance energy or aura; this energy was pure magic. Ancient magic he seldom used and hadn't in over two lifetimes. It was also the only magic capable of making the Vault appear.

"Are you almost done?" Blake asked, feeling a little more antsy now, "Because I think there's a platoon of soldiers coming our way...and they seem to be asking people questions or something."

Oscar gritted his teeth and shook his head, already beginning to feel sweat forming on his neck and face.

_Just focus, Oscar. Stay in your state and continue to extract the magic from yourself. From your soul. _

He could feel the Vault emerging. The even hotter sensing of its presence drifting from the pole like a heavy gas leak in a pipe. It was almost ready to come out; he could _feel _it, and it wouldn't be much longer now until it would appear in front of them all in one big burst.

"C'mon..," he grunted, the cold wind seeming to warm immediately as it hit his face, "Just...a little...longer...!"

"Um, guys?" Nora said, suddenly going stiff. The others' gazes were transfixed on Oscar's performance and efforts on summoning the Vault, and they paid no heed to Nora's perplexed statement. She continued to stare at the astonishment before her, eyes wide in shock.

"Guys!"

Nora's loud call seemed to jerk everyone, other than Oscar, to attention. They wiped around to see what Nora was pestering about, wondering if it was silly or dead serious. But when they laid eyes on what she was pressing them about, they too were staring in bewilderment.

"Oh my gosh," Yang gasped, "No more block-ups, please!"

"I've got it!" Oscar shouted triumphantly, exhausted and relieved as the glowing blue doorway appeared before him, a gentle cooling mist pouring from and around it, all over him in a soothing, almost minty smelling aroma.

But when no one answered his exclamation, he turned around, wondering what was the cause of this, only to have his eyes squint and his turned to a straight line as he saw what everyone was staring at.

Qrow, however, didn't look surprised at all. His eyes were narrowed and his mouth was set into a frown as he locked eyes with the man standing in front of them. His hands balling up tightly into fists, he glared at the man, all of the puzzle pieces coming together in an instant.

There, standing in front of them, sword out and icy eyes glinting in the soft glow of the Vault's blue door, stood Vorst Schnee. His familiar face looked solemn and very serious, a warning seemingly stamped out on it. His following statement sounded more like a command, and his voice sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"You're not going anywhere."

* * *

**And alas, Vorst has returned! I apologize for the late-ish update, folks, got another busy week with Christmas prep and stuff. I don't exactly have a small family either, so there's also that, too.**

**From now on, by the way, I will be advertising one or two stories in these author's notes. These will be stories that I've either read, am reading, or would like to advertise in general. **

**Story ****Advertisement: Deafening Silence, by TheAngelOfFate. (Oscar and Ozpin fans, read this)**

**A Silent Connection, by ArthurSG. (NeoXJaune fans, read this)**

**A whole lot of silence, as you can see. XD But anyway, be sure to check out those stories if they catch your interest or you just want to read another good fan fiction. **

**Also, you're welcome, Sweet Guest (I'm calling you that now) for answering your questions last chapter XD Glad I almost made you cry for Weiss. I'm not a personal fan of her, but whatever. :P And Firewyrm, thanks for the names. :D (All names are put in review for me and my sisters to decide; I'll be blunt and say we've liked a lot of the names so far, so thank you all so much; please keep em coming!)**

**Thanks for reading a tune in for more chapters!**


	24. Mission Accomplished?

The group stared at Vorst, who was standing defensively in front of them with his large silver sword held out in his hand, the blade nearly touching the metal floor. His face held a warning, and his chilly stare froze everyone in place.

His whole face looked very controlled, solemn, and dead serious, threatening anyone who dared to come near. The soft blue glow of the Vault's door made his eyes shimmer, the reflection of the entrance clear in them.

No one took their eyes off of him, no one said anything, and neither did he. All was silent for several long moments before someone finally spoke up, nearly scaring them off the edge of the roof.

"I knew it," Qrow muttered darkly, "It was you all along."

Vorst's gaze didn't change as it moved slowly to Qrow. It still felt like he was looking at the others though, which was a very creepy and unsettling feeling. Oscar looked over at Qrow, wondering what he was thinking and also appreciating his attentiveness. Qrow _had _been watching around for a while the entire time after their first encounter with him...

"Yes, it was," Vorst answered, his voice low, "And here you all are, after telling me that you weren't up to anything suspicious whatsoever."

Nora and Ren exchanged glances and then squinted at him.

"You seemed suspicious of us before," Blake reasoned, "Why'd you let us go if you thought we'd be up to something before? I mean, you literally just let us pass, somewhat abruptly."

Vorst's gaze didn't turn from Qrow, even when he answered her.

"It's simple, really," he answered, "I knew I couldn't get the real answer out of you just then and there, and it was clear from your hesitance, tensity, and general suspicion of me when I wouldn't allow you through right away, that you were doing more than 'just visiting' someone."

He turned and looked at Weiss, a curious look in his eyes as he did. She locked eyes with him, confused at his appearance and how similar he looked to the others in her family. But he wasn't familiar, despite his familiar trait, however. His face was unknown to her.

"And it appears," he continued, still looking at Weiss, "That you not only payed her a visit, but you also took her with you for what I can only assume is some kind of 'master scheme'. Now, as to why you are all trying to take this Relic, despite your positions of huntsman and huntress, I don't know. The business of the Relics should have nothing to do with you."

"You're the Relic guardian, correct?" Oscar said, standing up. Vorst nodded.

"I am."

"And you were appointed by Professor Ozpin himself to guard this Relic at all costs until further notice?" he continued.

"Not quite," Vorst said, "I was appointed by the previous guardian, who could have very well been personally appointed by Ozpin. But I wasn't appointed my Ozpin himself; it was the previous one who did that. Whether or not Ozpin had known I had taken over that task, I don't know. That all depends on if the previous one notified him. But he passed in the Fall of Beacon, if you're not aware."

"Well, here's the thing," Oscar said, eager to get his news out, "I'm the next Ozpin, his reincarnation. He wanted us to get the Relic from here so that we could use it to protect the people from Salem, as well as hiding it from her."

Vorst raised a brow, cocking his head slightly to the left.

"Salem?" he asked, a pinch of curiosity in his voice, "What does she matter to you? And what do you mean by 'the next Ozpin'? No man on this earth can reincarnate, unless that's his semblance or some form of odd magic. Are you suggesting he can reincarnate?"

"Yes," Oscar answered, "And I'm his next reincarnation!"

Vorst shook his head with another chuckled, switching hands with his sword yet again.

"I could choose to believe your reasoning, young man," he said, "But to be completely honest, I don't exactly just beleive everything that people tell me, even if it's reasonable. I know magic exists, and I wouldn't be surprised if reincarnation was a reality. But for some group of huntresses and huntsmen to claim that Ozpin reincarnates and that the kid of the group is his next reincarnation, is a little hard to actually believe."

He shook his head and clicked his teeth.

"You could very well just be a group of thieves trying to innocently steal this powerful Relic," he sighed, "Or huntsmen and huntresses working for a thief. Or who knows? Even some kind of shape-shifters who knew the very people you claim to be."

"But you saw our ID," Yang said, getting impatient, "We're obviously the real deal."

Vorst stared at her straight in the eyes, making her inwardly tremble. Outwardly, she simply stood firmly where she was, her gauntlets locked and loaded and held out readily in front of her.

"Perhaps," he answered, "But what about the possiblily of betrayal? There are some who graduate as under that valiant, honorable title of huntsman or huntress, but aren't actually the individuals people assume or think them to be. I've seen more than one example of that very act."

"So you're just gonna assume that we're traitors?!" Nora yelled angrily, "You're just going to ignore the possibility of truth?"

Vorst narrowed his eyes at her, making even her feel somewhat nervous. He looked so experienced, so solemn. Although she felt she could beat him up to some extent, she feared he could do the same to her and everyone else around her. Her hammer trembled slightly in her hands.

Ren glanced at her, a little feeling of pity welding up inside him. Seeing Nora even a little afraid as she was right now reminded him of when they had been nothing more than little orphans. Luckily, that feeling rarely occurred, but it was right now.

He was actually decently calm at the moment, as he knew how fear and shock could disturb his concentration. He also wasn't all that surprised that Vorst was the guardian. Although it was unexpected, it wasn't all that shocking. He had been a ticket man with a giant silver sword, for good riddance!

Vorst opened his mouth, about to say something, when all of the sudden, a shot rang out in the tense silence, nearly scaring everyone out of their wits. The short streaked through the air and exploded where he was, consuming the area in a cloud of gray smoke. The group stared wide eyed at it, only to be forced to close their eyes over the drifting mess of smoke that covered lightly over them.

"Get him!" Qrow's voice shouted in the confusion, "Oscar, break open the Vault and grab the Relic! NOW!"

Yang's first reaction was to immediately start shooting her gauntlets at the cloud of smoke, only to see the shadow of Vorst dodging each and ever one of them with precise agility. Reloading, she propelled herself towards him, punching shots all the way. His hand met her face, grabbing it, and then throwing her down.

Her back smacked on the floor, but she used the momentum to flip back up onto her feet. She whipped around and shot a few more punches at him, but he swiped his sword expertly around, deflecting and slicing all of them. He suddenly moved to the side as Weiss' sword nearly stabbed him, and he leaped out of the way of the speeding head of Nora's hammer.

He smoothly ducked under a large swipe of Harbinger, practically danced his way through several swift attacks from Myrtenaster, leaped over the countless shots of Ember Ceclia, dodged the endless bullets of Storm Flower, and then deflected the shots of Gambol Shroud, all in just a few moments of their attacking him.

One weapon, though, amidst all of the perfect dodging, counters, and blocking, was able to swipe him clear across his face. Without his aura to protect them, Crocea Mors would've left a nasty red gash on his face, bleeding badly. But instead, it hurt and caused him to notice Jaune for once.

He smashed his sword on the ground where Jaune was standing, but Jaune somersaulted out of the way and stood back up to his feet in an instant, his sword poised at him. His one attack cause Vorst to momentarily loose focus on his surroundings, and Yang's fist met his face.

Weiss formed several glyphs around Vorst, rushing to them and using them to ricochet off of each one and simultaneously attack him. But just as she was about to plant her sword into his head, a black glyph got in her way, stopping her sword just in time. But she hadn't made that glyph.

Vorst had.

He turned around, taking advantage of her temporary stunned self, and, with a few time dilation glyphs, lashed his sword heavily at her, knocking her far back and off the side of the top of the tower. She recovered, though, and used several glyphs to get back onto the roof.

"He has the Schnee Semblance!" Weiss screamed as she blew forwards with a glyph of her own.

"Well, isn't that great!" Yang shouted sarcastically, dodging a few shots from Vorst's gun that was in his sword, "Just wonderful!"

"B-but that means..," Weiss stammered, her voice still a yell, "That means he's related to me! He's got to be!"

"So what?!" Yang answered, reloading her gauntlets _again_, "It doesn't matter right now; we have a mission to complete, and we don't have time to worry about family trees and stuff!" She summersaulted under an attack from Vorst, only to be shot off the ground by a glyph from him.

Meanwhile, Oscar was summoning every possible inch of magic he had in him, trying to collect every bit he had any recollection of possessing. The brilliant green glow of his hands, enveloping the Vault's doorway, nearly blinded him. But he continued on, feeling some sort of sense of how much longer and more he needed to press at the code of the Vault to be opened.

He could see it very slowly opening, but the sweat pouring down his face, along with the burning in his arms and hands and the exhaustion, as well as the knowledge that a single mistake could inflict devastation on either him or the surrounding area, threatened to put an end to his efforts.

But for some odd reason, a constant feeling and thought seemed to bombard him with every time he pushed to open it. A feeling of uneasiness, accompanied by nervousness and fear, as well as a single thought that went threw his head.

_Something isn't right. About taking the Relic. But what?_

He felt very panicked, and he had to fight against his own will from looking back and seeing what was going on behind him. But he pressed on, feeling more and more inclined to give up and just take a break. But a break would halt the whole process and restart it completely. The doorway was one-sixth open.

Out of the corner of his eye, Vorst saw a bright green light, and he immediately knew what was happening. Or, well, what he assumed was happening. Back slamming Blake and slicing wildly at Nora and Ren, who were in front of him, he pushed himself forward, using a few glyphs to speed of the process.

The doorway was one-third open.

He could see Oscar right there, and he was nearly on him, when Qrow suddenly appeared and punched him increadibly hard in the face. Vorst lifted his blade in front of his face to dodge a few more aimed directly at him, and he turned around, kicking his foot heavily at Qrow's chest. But Qrow just sidestepped and raced at him.

The two of them engaged in an insanely speedy sword battle, smacking, slicing, dodging, blocking, and countering each other over and over again. Even Yang was surprised at how well Qrow was holding up; she'd seen him do very well before, but this?

The doorway was half open.

Qrow slowly began advancing his attacks forward, causing them to move closer and closer to the edge of the roof. Qrow grinned and felt a familiar feeling of some kind of chill inside him.

_It's gonna be decently big, aint it._

He continued to fight him, annoyed when he found that Vorst seemed to be getting the upper hand in this fight. He was starting to actually hit Qrow, and soon enough, they were back towards the middle of the roof. Qrow grunted in frustration. They'd been so close! Another surprise hit from Vorst and Qrow was thrown to the floor.

Fortunately, Weiss suddenly appear, blocking Vorst's strike and then returning it with a few more swift attacks. Vorst easily dodged and deflected them, but Nora's hammer just about crushed his head in, and after he managed to dodge that, Ren's blades where hooked onto his shoulders.

Ren jerked him around so that he was facing Yang, and she met him to the face with a hard punch shot. He flew backwards, but used a glyph to catch him. Then he jumped onto the floor, stabbing his sword into the it and errupting the area under him in a white flurry. Soon after, a snowy white Beowolf came up from his large spiraling glyph, and leaped at Ren.

"How does he summon so fast?!" Weiss shouted, half amazed, half bewildered. Vorst just gave her a sly smirk and raced at Oscar again. But right before his blade even touched the young man, a loud, roaring sound was heard and a great wind moved him off target, and Jaune's shield smacked him out of the way.

Confused, he looked up, only to see the nose of an Atlesian ship coming right towards him, the astonished and frightened face of the pilot visible from the window. He flipped backwards, the bottom of the speeding ship scraping his knee as he did so. He yelled in pain, but continued on, trying to ignore his now burning knee.

Qrow grinned wider, feeling appreciation form his semblance for once. Sure, it came in handy during fights, but lately he hadn't been fighting solo, which meant bad luck for his allies. But for now, it was good enough, and its timing had been fantastic.

"Duck!" Jaune shreiked, throwing himself and Weiss to the ground. Yang, Ren, Nora, Blake, and Qrow, dropped to the floor, grabbing onto anything around them that could help them stay down as the large ship flew over them, blowing wind everywhere. The strong gusts whipped there clothes and hair around, roaring in their ears and making it hard to hear.

Qrow saw Vorst army-crawling towards them, using his sword to move the process along faster. Grunting, Qrow began crawling towards him as well, and the moment the ship finished its flight low above them, he jumped right back up, slicing hard at him. But a black glyph slowed it and allowed Vorst to escape the attack.

"Blake!" Weiss cried, rushing towards her teammate, "Checkmate!"

Blake was almost confused for a moment, wondering what Weiss' exclamation had meant. But then she remembered, and it clicked in her head what it was. It had been quite awhile since the two of them had performed that team attack, and it had always been Ruby who had signaled that. But she wasn't here right now.

Blake nodded quickly at her teammate and hurried to oblige. Rushing at Vorst, who was currently fighting off Qrow, Nora, and Ren all at once, she pulled out her katana, though it was rather short, and began rapidly attacking him, feeling a mild rush of excitment when she spotted Weiss alongside her. Together, the two of them simultaneously attacked him, freeing up Ren, Nora, and Qrow while he fought against them now.

Vorst glanced quickly at the progression of the Vault's opening. But he couldn't quite see it through Blake and Weiss' blades constantly trying to hurt him. Growling in frustration, he used a few glyphs and jumped up onto them, hurrying upwards and leaping off of them, about to land on top of Oscar.

The doorway was nearly open.

Oscar felt as if every muscle in his body was about to disintegrate. He wanted to just stop and rest for at least a moment, but he couldn't; not when he was this far. The feeling of uneasiness had grown even more, as if he was trying to remember something that would halt the process of taking the Relic.

_This Relic is being used for __something! But what? Is it being used by Salem? Or am I using if for something; Ozpin._

This time, Yang attempted to shoot Vorst out of the way, but only ended up taking the blow from his silver sword. She was shot to the floor, denting the metal roof badly inwards. She slowly got up, her eyes red and her hair glowing, and gritted her teeth, glaring at him as he deflected some more attacks from her comrades.

"Yang!" Jaune shouted as he attempted to hit Vorst with his sword, "Use your semblance!" He was roughly hit away by the white haired huntsman, who hurried towards him to deal some more damage and finish him off.

"The door's just about open!" Nora shouted, throwing a massive blow at Vorst, almost succeding in hitting him, but missing just shy as he dodged nimbly out of the way. Weiss glanced at Vorst, then at the nearly open Vault, then at Yang, who was standing up after a hard hit.

"Yang!" Weiss called, running backwards from Vorst, "Freezerburn!"

Yang, who was steeping in her steamy hot anger and semblance, nodded with a grin and raced towards him, shooting herself upwards and kicking him hard on the head. Jumping off from the kick, she looked down at the scene below her, loading her gaunlet and grinning as a rush of eagerness and energy pumped through her.

"Yes!" Jaune shouted, throwing a fist triumphantly in the air.

Weiss spun around, the dial on her sword switching, and stabbed her sword into the floor, a smooth sheet of ice covering over a large section of it. Nora slipped and fell into Ren's arms. Weiss used some glyphs to speed Blake and Jaune away from where Yang would land. Qrow didn't see it coming and was simply blown backwards into Oscar when she did land.

A massive cloud of warm steam covered over everything, making it all too foggy to see anything. Vorst stood up on his feet, listening to everything going on around him. People were slowly moving...The doorway was open now...Someone was approaching him from in front and behind.

He reached out his hand and abruptly caught the hilt of Jaune's sword, twisting it towards his thumb and yanking it from his hands. The he threw it at Ren, who had been coming from his other side. He caught the sword and threw it back at Jaune, who caught it and proceeded to attack Vorst again.

But Vorst, seeing an opening, threw himself as hard as he could at Oscar, sliding next to him, and swung his sword roughly at Oscar's leg. It hit it very hard, causing his knees to buckle and his hands to cease glowing.

"RUN!" Oscar panted, falling to his knees, "Get...the Relic..."

His eyes rolled into his head and he fell backwards into a panting, sweetly, exhausted heap. Qrow skidded backwards from a slice by Vorst and saw him laying on the floor, unconscious.

"Hey!" he said, bending down and putting his hand under Oscar's head, "You alright?"

He turned and looked at the open Vault, suddenly realizing that he needed to grab the Relic, and quick. Taking his hand out from under Oscar's head, he bolted into the Vault, ignoring the peculiar change in the atmosphere as he entered.

He didn't stop running until he spotted the beautiful golden staff, the bottom part of it mounted in the sand-colored stone it stood on. He grasped its handle, the gold of it feeling warm and pulsing with energy. Then he yanked it out of the stone with surprising ease, turning around and racing towards the door again.

To his horrifying shock, he saw that the door was closing. He saw Oscar laying outside of it, his eyes fluttering slowly open and he began to regain consciousness, and he saw Vorst rushing towards it, his hands outstretched and an angry look on his face.

Then Qrow had an idea.

Looking at the staff in his hands, he looked back up at Vorst, how small the entrance was getting, and then he began running forwards as fast as he could. Qrow, having experience and teaching from Ozpin, easily allowed the Relic to shrink to about the size of large pencil.

Vorst pulled out his sword, the anger on his face smoothing over into calm concentration. He formed a summoning glyph right in front of Qrow, focusing as he began summoning a Grimm.

But Qrow, just as he was nearing the newly formed Ursa, took a deep breath and jumped over the Grimm, transforming into a crow in a flurry of black feathers, and he simply flew out of the small exit, carrying the staff with his little bird feet. Vorst's eyes widened and he skidded to a halt, smacking into the nearly closed door.

Qrow flew above all of them, the whole group, and swooped down the Academy, flying as fast as he could. He flew over the towers, flew over the sides of the building, flew over everything until he landed on the tallest, closest tower to the top of the Academy. He dropped the Relic on top of it and then flew back to the top of the Academy's main tower, hoping very hard that everyone was ready to go.

He transformed back into a man and landed in a summersault, jumping back to his feet. He looked around wildly, the thick mist of earlier just now beginning to really fade away completely. He saw Oscar slowly sitting up, Yang laying unconscious against the metal rod in the center, Jaune checking on everyone, Weiss and Blake panting, and Ren holding Nora in his arms.

"Hey, Juan," Qrow panted, turning to the Jaune, "Are we all set? We've gotta move, now!"

Jaune glanced around and nodded vigorously at him.

"That Vorst guy knocked Nora and Yang out in a jiffy!" he shouted back, "But I can carry her while Ren's got Nora. Blake, Weiss, and Oscar should be ready to go. Now let's get outa here!"

He paused for a moment, panting a little, and then added,

"And it's 'Jaune'!"

"Shut up," Qrow shouted back, hurrying to the group.

Jaune ran over to Yang and hoisted her into his arms, running as fast as he could alongside Ren, who was carrying Nora, Weiss, Blake, and Qrow. Oscar was just standing up, still confused as to why something seemed so wrong. He could hear Vorst slicing his sword around behind him, and him yelling all kinds a crazy things.

And then, it suddenly clicked.

"WAIT!" he shrieked, holding his hand out to the others, who were shouting at him to hurry up and teleport them, "We can't take the Relic!"

They all looked confused, but Qrow suddenly aimed his sword right above Oscar's head and began firing rapid shots at the nearly on him Vorst. Vorst had to stop his attack to block the bullets, allowing Oscar to limp to the others.

"Why not?!" Weiss shouted, whipping around and looking at how high they were again.

"Because!" he shot back at the top of his lungs, "This whole place is going to fall! The Relic holds it up, and since we took it from its place, Atlas is going to fall on Mantel! We need to put the Relic back, _now_!"

Oscar's stomach dropped. Literally. And so did everyone else's.

The group felt a horrible feeling of fear as their stomachs were dropping and the whole area around them began to fall, the sound of roaring wind picking up and intensifying as the seconds passed. The entire city of Atlas was falling towards Mantel, about to crush everything underneath it.

"Why didn't you say something earlier?!" Nora, who had just snapped back to full consciousness, screamed, "Could've been good to know!"

"That's right," Vorst said, standing right in front of them, the wind and the momentum making his snowy white hair blow around his face and flapp his coat about. "Listen to him. You don't put the Relic back, thousands of people die, thousands of buildings are destroyed, and millions of lien are wasted."

Qrow grunted in frustration and then, jerking himself around, leaped off the side of the roof, transforming into a crow and flying as fast as he could towards the tower he had left the Relic on. Once he arrived to it, he snatched it up in his feet and flew back, beating his wings faster than he ever had in his life.

Transofrming back into a man, he landed on his feet, now holding the staff in his hands, and sprinted towards the Vault door. It was just about closed, and all Qrow could think to do was simply hurl it at the entrance, through the small space left to enter in. It landed right inside, flopping on the soft, odd colored, nearly glowing sand.

To his surprise, it shot back to the rock, as if the rock were a strong magnet, and it stuck right into it. It glowed brightly golden, and then, after a few brief moments, the terrible dropping feeling ceased.

The group let out a long sigh of relief. Vorst bowed his head, feeling exhausted. Qrow laughed aloud and fell backwards onto his back, not caring about the discomfort of the landing.

"There, all of your efforts have been wasted for nothing," Vorst said, walking over to Qrow, "You've managed to lower Atlas by some feet, got beat up some, and waisted whatever lien, trouble, and time you've spent on accomplishing this goal."

Qrow just stared up at the man, giving him a long, intense glare.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure we would've figured out why not to take the Relic _without _your obnoxious defenses," he spat back, slowly standing to his feet, "We didn't need you to inconvenience us."

Vorst raised a brow.

"So my successful guarding of the Relic, as well as me proving my worth in this task, is a bad thing?" he asked quizzically. Qrow just shook his head and headed over to the others, who had their eyes fixed on either men.

"Oscar, get us out of here," he muttered, to which Oscar nodded slowly and tried to summon one last effort, despite his concentrated and very dragging exhaustion. They were all encased in a pale green glow, which slowly began to bolden as Oscar continued on, panting harder and harder as his efforts increased.

Vorst stood in front of them, a piercing look in his icy blue eyes as he watched them prepare to leave. Weiss suddenly gasped and franticly reached her hand out towards him, an unanswered question that had been sitting in her mind this whole time suddenly occurring to her.

"Wait!" she cried, a green glowing mist running off of her as her arm moved, "Who are you?!"

Vorst just continued glaring at her as everyone began to very slowly fade in the green light. The noise of it all, the wind swirling and the teleportation sounds, grew louder and louder as the seconds passed, and she felt even more frantic to get an answer.

"Please!" Weiss begged, feeling a sense of urgency taking her over, "Who are you! You're very clearly a Schnee, but _who are you_?!"

Vorst closed his eyes and let out a slow, light sigh. He looked almost exasperated from his previous efforts, as well as relieved that he had done his job. But he also looked exasperated about the answer to Weiss' question that he knew. Looking back at Weiss, a new look had crossed his face.

"Just ask Mother," he answered, his voice so gentle and soft it was hard to believe that it came from him. Weiss' eyes widened and she staggered backwards, the scenery around her slowly fading into a green that slowly got brighter and brighter.

"WHAT?!" she screamed, catching one last glimpse of Vorst's face before a green flash erupted and he and the top of the tower disappeared. The area around them began to slowly melt into a different setting, of buildings and the streets of the city around them. One the swirling green lights of Oscar's 'semblance' had faded, Oscar's knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground, panting.

Then the group just stood there, an occasional citizen walking past and giving them an odd glance or paying to attention at all. Weiss stared at the concrete below her with wide, quivering eyes. Oscar half lay, half sat on the road, panting very hard. The other's just exchanged glances, while Qrow glared at the top of the Academy, which was in view.

"Wait, where are we right now?" Nora asked, looking at Oscar for an answer. Oscar just continued panting, attempting to sit up, but failing to completely do so. His face was slick with sweat and his cheeks were bright red from his efforts, exhaustion making him feel lightheaded and drained.

"We're..," he began, panting in between words, "We're in...Atlas s-still...we're just...a few blocks from...Atlas Academy..." He finished by coughing roughly and then spitting out some saliva that had built up in his mouth.

"So...now what do we do?" Blake asked, cocking slightly to the side.

"Perhaps we should move on to the other Relics," Ren suggested, "Although, the fact that Salem is searching for all of them, and one of them causes an entire city to fall onto another, is rather frightening. If only there was a way to protect the Staff of Creation."

"Oh, uh, speaking of which," Jaune said, glancing down at Yang's eyes, which were still closed, "Do any of the other Relics do anything? Like, not magically and what not, but do they do anything to their surrounding areas or whatever, like this one did?"

Oscar gave up on trying to stand and simply sat, still panting heavily.

"N-not that I can...recall," he managed, swallowing and then continuing to pant, "But for now...we should just...get back to...Maria's house." He took a few more moments to catch his breath before continuing. "We need to rest up and check on Ruby."

"I hope she's feeling better," Nora said, concerned, "She was in pretty bad shape when we left."

Jaune nodded, looking slowly down.

"Yeah," he said, his voice a little lower, "She did."

Qrow stopped looking at the top of the Academy and then turned to the group, an authoritative look on his face. He nodded at Oscar, cleared his voice, and then walked over to the front of them all.

"Alright, first we get back to Maria's," he said, "We rest up for a bit, check on Ruby, and once everyone's ready, we'll leave. Understand?"

They all nodded, but Nora still looked a bit questionable.

"What are we gonna do with Ruby?" she asked, "I mean, she can't really fight and all that, ya know, cuz the baby. And I don't think it's very practical for her to travel too much and stuff, ya know, cuz the baby, and all of that has to do with the Relics. And I don't think we should be handling Relics and stuff, ya know-"

"Cuz the baby," Jaune, Ren, Blake, and Oscar all finished for her, knowing full well what she was going to say. Nora raised a brow and them and then shook her head, looking like a mother about to scold her children.

"No, no!" she chided back, "I was _going _to say, 'cuz of Salem's evil minions or whatever'." She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Shameful, guys. Never fill in a Valkyrie's sentence! You'll always get it wrong. Ren can testify!"

They all looked at Ren and he shrugged, holding his hands out as if to say, 'She's not wrong; I don't know'.

"What...in Remnant?" Weiss stuttered, still staring with quivering eyes at the ground, "W-what just happened."

They all looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

Weiss seemed to shoot out of her stupor and glared at Blake, who had asked the previous question. She stepped up to her and shoved her finger in her face, looking partially scared out of her mind, partially confused, and partially wild-minded.

"My mother is in a coma!" she snapped, "And there's a chance that she's _dead_ by now!" She stepped away from Blake, who looked at her with wide, somewhat confused eyes, and flurried over to Ren, waving her arms by him.

"My sister randomly came back home while I was gone! My father's probably looking for me! Atlas was just before _falling_, about to crush Mantel! We just fought some crazy guardian guy, and he says he's my _brother_! What the heck is going on?!"

The group stood back, a bit surprised at the word Weiss had said. She seldom, if never, had ever used the word heck before, and it seemed so out of her nature. So to hear her say it was a little odd, but it did help her point of confusion get across.

"He said he was your brother?" Jaune asked, confused.

"Vorst was crazy?" Ren said.

"Oh dear," Nora said, "Poor Weiss' mom."

Weiss just fell to her knees, tears spilling down her cheeks, and began to sob again. The sobs were from confusion; they were from shock; they were from fear, from sorrow, and they were from the feeling that nothing would ever be right again. That feeling was not new, but she was also not immune to it, and when it struck, it never felt good.

"Weiss..," Blake began, kneeling beside her teammate, "Are you okay?"

Weiss wiped her eyes, standing up soon after, and looked Blake in the eyes, a different look in them now. She sighed, a brief, short sigh, and walked daintily over to Qrow, putting Myrtenaster away and recomposing herself.

"I'll be fine," she answered firmly, putting a hand on her hip, "But I have a _lot _of questions I'll be asking Winter, and if she doesn't know, then Father will get an awful _lot_ of interruptions while he's trying to work."

The other's exchanged glances, and Jaune sighed, looking ver tired. He knew that Weiss what a lot more confused and shaken than she looked at the moment, but he had to admit she was taking it a lot better than he ever would. 3 years after Pyrrha's death, and he would still loose it at times.

Sure, he had loved Pyrrha and had bonded with her incredibly well, while Weiss hadn't seemed to be much of a mommy's girl, but it was still her mother, and he could only imagine the times when she and Weiss had likely bonded over the pain that Jacques had caused them. She was under a lot of pressure, constantly, so he couldn't blame her.

He gave her a soft, reassuring look before quickly looking back down at Yang, who had begun to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she met eyes with Jaune, a confused expression crossing her face, accompanied by a silly grin.

"Jaune, don't you have enough girls to sweep of their feet?" she asked wickedly with a crooked grin, "You didn't need to try on me next."

He sighed and shook his head at her, while Nora and Blake stifled smirks and giggles. Qrow just rolled his eyes, turning around and muttering darkly under his breath in a low tone,

"Kids."

* * *

**Alas, when you're watching volume 7 during the writing of your fanfiction that takes place after a made up volume 7. :P Fun fact: I had planned on having them kill Vorst, when I first made up his character. But after a little bit, I decided that it didn't make much sense, so I didn't kill him off. He's too cool.**

**As an answer to Sweet Guest: Yes, he was the one following them the whole time; nice observation. AND YES, YOU CAUGHT IT! Yes, it was a Screen Rant reference, so again, wonderful observation. XD You have no idea how much I was screaming when I read that from your review. Yes, it is TheAngelOfFate. Just PM them if you're confused. Thanks for the names! I appreciate it. :D**

**Story Advertisements: Blooming Rose, by Maria65. (Ship Family fans, read this. It's super sweet; I think she posts multiple stories regarding that, so just follow her if you're interested)**

** Do What We Do Best, by RelightTheTorch. (Roman, Trifa, White Fang, and Adam fans read this.)**

**Thank y'all for reviewing and all that stuff. Makes my day! And no worries, Ruby is coming back into the picture now. **

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters!**


	25. Vain Dreams

"How is she?" Oscar asked, kneeling beside Ruby's bed and laying a hand on her's. Maria walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder, almost in an assuring way.

"Not too much better; not worse," she answered, looking at Ruby's flushed, sweaty face, "It's a strange and wonderful thing, though, that I could feel her aura protecting your children. I asked her, and she told me that certainly wasn't doing it voluntarily."

Oscar smirked and gently wiped his hand along her burning hot forehead, brushing aside some stray locks of her red and black hair that were plastered to her skin. Her mouth was slightly open as she breathed, somewhat panting, through it. She overall looked so helpless and innocent, it was hard to believe that in a about 5 months, she was going to be a mother.

"Is she going to be okay?" Oscar asked softly, staring intently at her face. Maria shrugged, looking so calm and sure of herself, and patted his shoulder.

"I think she'll pull through in time," she answered, turning and heading towards the door, her cane tapping along with her, "But for now, you should really get some rest. You nearly collapsed once you people entered my home."

Oscar chuckled and stood weakly stood to his feet, using Ruby's bed for support. He turned to the old woman, who was just about to exit the room, and smiled at her, quietly calling her name before she was about to disappear from view.

"Maria?"

She turned slowly around, giving Oscar a questioning, patient look. "Hm?"

He smiled again and walked over to her a tired, but relieved look in his hazel eyes. Ever since he had first met her, the two of them had seemed to bond. She treated him like her grandson, and she was like a grandmother to him.

"Thank you so much for helping with Ruby," he said softly, "It means so much to me. You've been so useful and loving all this time, and I'm very grateful. I don't know what we'd do without you. Thank you, Maria."

A wide smile spread on her wrinkly lips and she took a few steps forward towards the young man, stretching out her short arms

"Oh, you're so sweet," she said, "Come here." She wrapped her arms around him while he bent down, and the two of them hugged for a few moments before they unembraced and stared at each other.

"You're welcome, Oscar," she said warmly, and he nodded gratefully to her, "I do like to consider myself as the grandmother I never got to be. Although, there have been quite a few times where I haven't regretted not being one. Being the Grimm Reaper was enough work as it was, and then of course there was life without any eyes."

She rubbed the blue lenses of her large mechanical eyes.

"I didn't just get them back right after I lost them, you know. It took quite some time to even find my way back to civilization."

Oscar nodded slowly, smiling, and then walked back towards Ruby's bed, slumping down and leaning his head up against the bedstead with exhaustion. He kept his eyes open, though his gaze was low, and looked softly at Maria as she stood there with her cane.

"Thanks again," he mumbled, feeling a large yawn coming up, "See you in a bit."

His eyes were heavy with sleep and he wanted nothing more than to curl up next to Ruby and fall into a nice, deep sleep without a care in Remnant. Despite how damp and hot her bed probably was, he wouldn't mind, so long as Ruby was right next to him. Maybe he could even hug her while he slept...

"Sleep well," Maria said, nodding to him and turning around to exit the room, "I'll probably be making diner when you wake up, so don't hesitate to come in and grab a bite to eat. No snagging anything before it's done, though, understand?"

A slight hint of teasing was in her voice near the end of her sentence, and Oscar chuckled, closing his eyes and relaxing.

"Understood," he answered, his voice trailing off as he began to let go of his consciousness and slowly, very slowly, slide smoothly into sleep. The darkness of his eyes being closed melded with the dreary dreaminess of sleep, and any audible noises either faded away, or got louder, bouncing around his mind in a weird muffled presentation.

In a few moments, he was fast asleep, the draining and hard events of that day having taken their toll on his body. Combined with the stress of Ruby and the babies, along with the mission stress and the whole Ozpin deal, he fell into a very deep sleep easily.

His soft, gentle snores mixed with the sounds of Ruby's uneasy, mildly panting breathing and the two of them slept; Oscar leaning on her bed and sitting on the floor, and Ruby curled up in her sweat-soaked sheets and blankets.

* * *

Ruby bolted upright with a gasp, clutching her sheets closely to her as she did so. For a moment, she just sat there, panting and sweating in a fuzzy, blurry confusion while a cold chill seemed to slowly blow against her, increasing as the seconds flew by.

Then she suddenly felt very cold and she began to violently shiver. Quickly wrapping herself back up with the many blankets surrounding and semi-covering her, she tried to catch her breath and take in her surroundings, which had begun to clear now. Her heart drummed in her chest, so hard she could hear it.

She was still in her and Nora's room, but no one was in it.

_Oh yeah...Everyone left to grab the Relic or whatever, without me. It's just me and Maria here, I guess. _

She sighed and looked down at her wet sheets, not even caring how much moisture was in them. She was too hot and cold at the same time to care, and she was petty much used to the feeling of sweaty sheets now, anyway. Her wandering gaze traveled slowly from her sheets to the edge of her bed, where she suddenly noticed Oscar sleeping deeply with his head leaned up against the stead.

Her face softened and warmed as she saw the peacefulness of his sleeping face, a look of exhaustion lingering on it. His brown hair was a fuzzy mess, and his cheeks were rosy and held the slightest traces of sweat on them. His breath, although sounding steady and peaceful, was slightly faster than it normally was.

"Poor guy..," she murmured to herself, smiling sweetly at him and lightly putting her pale, trembling hand on his head, his hair sticking up through the spaces in between her fingers. She yawned and slowly lowered herself back down onto her back, and with much effort, scooted over to the very edge of the bed.

She then weakly reached her arms out and wrapped them around his head, cuddling it on her neck and gently kissing the top of it. His head felt so warm and comforting hugged up to her neck, slightly touching her chin and her bosom. She smiled wider and held him a little tighter, making her feel a bit weaker.

He stirred slightly, moving his head a little before mumbling something undecipherable under his breath and returning to his gentle, soft snoring. Ruby giggled at how his mouth hung slightly open, giving him an even more peaceful look. She sighed, a happy sigh, and closed her eyes again, nuzzling his hair with her chin.

And she nearly fell asleep, the sound of the fan's gentle operation; Oscar's light, gentle snoring; the faint sound of the evening birds chirping outside in the snow. But the loud sound of Yang's laughing in the kitchen below, just audible in the vent that was on the ceiling, just in the corner.

It hadn't even been that loud, it had just stuck out to her for whatever reason. Her eyes blinking open, she looked curiously over at the corner vent, hearing more laughter from her older sister, accompanied by more laughing from Maria and Nora.

_I wonder what they're laughing about...Maybe it's good that I don't know, cuz what if Yang made another weird pun or something. No, why would Maria and Nora be laughing then? No puns could make them laugh..._

She yawned again, closing her eyes and snuggling back up in the warmth and sweetness of Oscar's head and neck. She could feel his pulse in his neck, and even that made her feel good inside.

"Sometimes, Oscar," she murmured, "I wish we could just run away together and raise our children in our own little house or something. Like we could somehow abandon the stress and responsibility of things right now and just be free to live together, in love and freedom. We could get married once we get old enough, and then we could live together forever with our children."

She sighed again, feeling a hint of sadness cross lightly over her heart. Dreaming of these kinds of things always seemed to lead to a sad disappointment in reality, and she was tired of disappointment. Tis was a familiar feeling, and yet it always seemed to hit so hard, no matter the level of it. Why, even as a child, her silly dreams of wanting to attend a ball of some kind had always lead to a heart shattering feeling of disappointment.

"You know," she said softly, feeling a little downcast now and her eyes looking sadly at him, "I know the others said that they've accepted it and stuff...or at least some of them, I feel like they don't really think about us the same. Like they look down on us or something. It makes me feel a little more unwelcome, if you know what I mean."

She scooted down a little more, practically half hanging off the bed as she hugged her arms around is chest and dug her face snuggly into his shoulder. She took in a deep breath of his scent, smiling as she did, and closed her eyes.

"I've actually considered running away or something," she whispered, "So that my stray little dream could come true. I'd rather live alone with you and our little family than live with you and everyone else with this kind of...tense feeling, then have to try and learn how to raise children in front of everybody. It is a possibility, but I've just felt too afraid to, like there's this risk somehow."

Her fingers traced his jaw bone and then his cheeks and he stirred a little again, his gentle snoring melding into soft breathing.

"I don't even know what that risk would be, it's just there. And I've always wanted to tell you, but I just can't bring myself to. I know you'd understand, but...well, I don't know. I just wonder if it'd make you look at me a little like some child."

She swallowed and felt her temper rising a little.

"I feel like everyone looks at me that way, even though I'm just as old as they were at the beginning of our first year at Beacon!" she said, her voice slightly raised in some kind of emotional anger, "I bet they feel as mature as they did back then. But I'm older now, and for some reason they treat me like I'm still 15 or something."

Her head began to swim a little, some dull, rippling pain accompanying it due to her rise in temper and emphasis. She sighed again and calmed down, hugging Oscar a little closer to herself and shaking mildly. "I know you don't look at me that way, though. At least I hope not."

"Don't worry, I don't," Oscar mumbled, turning his head a little and looking up at her with bleary hazel eyes. Ruby was nearly scared out of her wits at the suddenness of the moment, and she jumped so so hard she nearly fell off her bed. Fortunately, Oscar caught her just in time, and he snapped fully awake.

"Woah, careful!" he said, catching his breath from _that _suddenness, "I don't want you to hurt yourself or something."

Ruby blinked, staring up at him. It felt so nice to be held by him, scooped up in his warm, strong arms, staring up into his loving, handsome face. Oscar shook his head with a light chuckle and stood up, gently laying her back on the bed and covering her up. He frowned when he felt the sheets, staring at them.

"These are pretty wet," he said, raising a brow, "Is it uncomfortable?"

Ruby shrugged.

"Eh," she said, "I've gotten used to it. And besides, I'm feeling too weird to really care or notice, so yeah." Oscar nodded his head slowly and continued to cover her up, neatly spreading out the sheets and blankets so that her bed looked made.

"Um," Ruby began, curiosity and mild embarrassment nagging her to ask him, '"So...how much of my dreamy sappy rant did you hear while I thought you were sleeping?" She bit her lip, nervous as to what his answer would be. He laughed lightly and sat down in the chair that stood beside her bed.

"Just woke up during the part about you being too afraid to tell me about your plans," he answered, smiling, "And I kinda heard some of those plans, too."

Ruby felt her cheeks flush even further.

"Oh..," she said quietly, "Uh, did those plans sound stupid?"

"No," Oscar answered, "They sounded interesting."

Ruby nodded, feeling relief and some kind of happyish sunny feeling all at once. At least he was actually considering her thoughts and dreams instead of immediately labeling them as vain and impossible.

"And..?" Ruby prodded, hoping to get a clear answer. Part of her wanted him to agree with her, and another part of her hoped that he wanted them to do things as non-complicated as possible, staying with the group. Oscar just scratched his chin in thought, looking hard at the window behind Ruby's bed.

"And I don't know what to tell you," he said, stretching his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair, "But I can tell you I've considered that very thing. I just don't want to be too rash or anything, you know?"

Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, I know," she answered.

The two of them just stay there for a while, Ruby laying down and staring up at the ceiling while Oscar just sat back in his chair with his hands behind his head and his eyes thoughtfully watching her. Neither said a word in the silence of the room, the peaceful, pleasant silence. Then Oscar spoke up.

"So how're you doing?" he asked suddenly, making startling Ruby again.

"Huh?" she said, her voice sounding so high pitched for her age, "Oh, right. Uh, well, I don't really feel very sick all the time anymore, so that's nice. And I've been feeling the babies moving a lot, so that's good too."

She glanced down at her stomach, which was covered with too many blankets to see her bump through. "And to be honest, I feel like they're going to be okay, even though things have probably been super rough on them."

Oscar smirked and nodded his head.

"Yeah, you've been using your aura to protect them," he said, "Even though you aren't consciously doing it, it's happening. It's a woman's natural response during pregnancy, to engage their aura and utilize it for protective purposes to their unborn. Although, when purposely engaged, it's effects are increased and more effective still."

He paused and cleared his throat, inwardly cringing as he realized how effortlessly he had began slipping into Ozpin mode again. He could see it in Ruby's eyes as well, how unsettling it was for her.

"Do you...understand how much time I have left?" Oscar asked after a long stretch of silence, swallowing after he finished his grave sentence. Almost simultaneously, tears filled the girl's eyes and she quickly brushed them away. Oscar's sober face hinted concern for her, but remained mostly serious.

"Um, well, no," Ruby choked after a moment, trying to compose herself, "I mean, I-I really don't like thinking about it...at all."

Oscar nodded slowly.

"Understandable," he said, "And I don't like to think much of it, either. A lot of times I try to figure out some kind of bizarre way to somehow stop the whole process and free myself of this cycle somehow. The only way I could ever do that is by somehow separating me and Ozpin's souls, but that's impossible."

He sighed sadly and leaned his head on his hand.

"At the rate things have been going so far, I'm going to have to say I have a few more months left until me and Ozpin fully merge and become...well, pretty much Ozma. It's sad that you rose to this fate, but we should be grateful that Ozpin allowed me to be this age and still only be this much merged with him."

Ruby felt her throat ache with emotion as she fought back more tears from coming. She didn't want Oscar to leave and turn into Ozma. She loved Oscar, not Ozpin or Ozma, and she also didn't want her children to look like they were from that old legend. What would people think of her? And besides, it would be so painful to watch her children grow up and look like the man she had once loved...

"Um," she said, her voice only a soft, strained whisper, "How many months, do you think?"

Oscar exasperatedly shrugged, unsure.

"I don't know," he said, thinking for a moment and trying to come up with a somewhat reasonable answer, "Maybe five or so?"

Ruby felt a small, slow stream of hot tears run down her face. Five months. Just the amount of time it would take for her babies to finish forming and be born. Why?! Why did the timing have to line up like this? Why?

"Oh," came Ruby's barely audible answer, followed by more silence, "Okay."

Oscar sighed and covered his face with his hands, not knowing what to do or say at the moment. His whole problem of his love for Ruby, their future, and the fact that he would no longer be himself anymore weighed down on his chest again, making him feel terrible. He was so sick of having to deal with things like this, and not dealing with them only made things worse.

He wanted Ruby to be safe and to be married and raise their children well, but he didn't know how she'd be able to do that if he was gone. There was always Jaune she could marry, but would he even want her pregnant with children that weren't even his and looked like Oscar's? Would Ruby even end up loving Jaune enough to actually marry him?

Oscar felt a tear drop into his hand. He uncovered his face and noticed he was actually crying at the moment. Wiping his eyes, he cleared his throat and looked back at her as she lay staring sadly at the ceiling, looking depressed.

"Hey, Ruby?" he asked quietly, her gaze swiveling from the ceiling to his face, "Can you tell me that you love me, please?"

Ruby looked confused, but didn't question.

"I love you, Oscar," she said softly, setting aside her confusion, "Do you love me?"

Oscar sighed and nodded with a faint smile.

"Yes. I love you Ruby."

The two of them stared at each other, locking eyes and feeling their hearts beat a little faster as a pleasant, warming wave of love washed through both of them at the sight of the other's face. A tear rolled innocently down Ruby's cheek, followed by another as her lip quivered and her eyes sparkled. A forceful, trembling smile was on her face, slowly bending and shifting into a heart-wrenching sad mouth.

Oscar felt his own eyes become misty, and he knew what was coming.

Ruby's silver eyes sparkled brightly with huge tears, and her face couldn't hold the stress and strain of trying to smile at all. She burst out into tears and, despite her weak and frail state, yanked herself from the covers and leaped into his arms, sobbing into his chest and hugging him tightly.

He held her there, holding her lovingly as she shook with the sobs wracking her body. He felt a tear roll down his cheek as she screamed and cried, muffled by his clothes and his body, letting out all of the fear, sorrow, and general devastation she'd been feeling this whole time, not wanting to let go of him for fear of losing him right then and there.

After a few minutes of nonstop sob-hugging, Oscar caressing her messy black and red hair with one of his hands while his other tightly embraced her, and Ruby crying until she had no more energy or tears left to spend, though, she still clung to him somehow.

He slowly and gently tried to pull her away, knowing she needed to rest, but she still clung, refusing to let go.

"No, no, please," she sobbed weakly, "I don't wanna let go of you...I don't wanna lose you yet. I'm not ready to let go."

Oscar felt more emotion stab his heart all the way through, and he let her stay where she was, hugging her again. She stopped crying a few moments later, and was now simply sniffing, curled up against him and occasionally letting out a sad whine. Her hand still clutched his arm with no sign of letting go, and she seemed to be half asleep.

But whatever the case, her eyes were closed, tears lining the rim of her eyes and painting a trail down her hot cheeks, and she was not going let herself be removed from him. Gathering her carefully in his arms, he picked her up and walked slowly to her bed, setting her down. But still, her arm clung to his, and would not let go.

Oscar sighed and after a moment's hesitation, climbed over the bed and lay down on the other side, next to Ruby. Inwardly wincing a little at the wetness of the bed he was laying on, he reached over and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. Her hand let go of his arm and relaxed on top of it as he did so, and the two of them lay there together in more silence.

His hand traveled slowly over to her stomach, rubbing lovingly over it when it reached it and admiring its perfect round surface. Inside there were two babies, alive and growing. And he had helped make them! They were his! Another feeling of love and sympathy went through him and he continued rubbing Ruby's stomach, a longing for the future he would never have filling him.

"Ozpin," he whispered darkly, a feeling of exasperation accompanying it, "I hope you're satisfied at what you've left me with."

* * *

**;-; Heart-wrenching Rosegarden intensifies. Sorry for the late update; Christmas has its crazy way of occupying my every second. Merry Christmas everyone, by the way, and happy New Year! Alas, we are going to enter the vast world of 2020...**

**Yeah, this chapter is actually shorter than the other ones by nearly halfway. My reason for this is because the content of this chapter seems to belong all in one chapter; I don't think having a scene with the others belongs in this tender chapter. That, and I wanted to update it; people seem a bit impatient. XD**

**Yes, Sweet Guest, you'll find out the story about Vorst and his fraternity to Weiss and all that soon. And yah, some of my family, my dad and brothers, specifically, use the "that's tight!" line a lot, too. I have as well. :P And Merry Christmas to you, as well! :D**

**Story ****Advertisements: The Dragon's Heart and the Broken Rose (Series), by AlucardJenkins (Tai and Summer fans, read this. Or just post-STRQ fans)**

**A Silent Connection, by ArturSG (Neo and Jaune fans, read this)**

**P.S. Hey Combined117...let me know if you found the pun. It's hidden pretty well, imo.**

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters! **


	26. Wholesome Goodness

Yang stuck her fork into the large slab of steak on her plate and sawed roughly at it with a knife, jamming the chuck on her fork into her mouth and chewing it ferociously. She repeated the same motion, this time dipping it in the squirt of sauce next to all her other food.

"Vif if good!" she said, her mouth too full to speak clearly, "Hm-hm!" She swallowed the mass of food in her mouth with a satisfied smile. "Thanks, Maria!"

Maria smiled and nodded, carefully cutting her own bit from her food and neatly eating it. The group sat around Maria's dining room table, enjoying the large amount of food Maria had prepared with the help of Blake, Nora, and Ren. Everyone but Ruby and Qrow sat there, as Qrow had gone to take some time with Ruby, who lay in bed.

It had been nearly a week since they had come back from the mission. Not a whole lot had changed, but a few questions had been answered.

After several days of trying to get ahold of some information about Vorst, Weiss had finally just that morning learned most of the story behind who he was and how she hadn't known about his fraternity with her. Ruby had began to recover, much to their relief. Weiss also got to see Ruby, fussing over her and her bump, which she seemed to take a lot better than Ruby had expected. The nickname "dolt" had been used several times, though.

Weiss had also learned of the official passing of Willow Schnee, becoming unusually quiet and slightly more irritable after receiving the news. Ruby had helped to console her, as well as Jaune. It had helped, but a lingering feeling of unsettlement and sorrow remained, as well as a fear of what Jacques was planning on doing about it.

Jaune had managed to let go of their failure to retrieve the Relic, despite the fact that taking it would've killed and destroyed an awful lot. He was also working on getting back to his old self, the most he could possible handle. Just accepting the fact that Ruby couldn't be his was sad, especially since his hopes had been up before.

He also learned how Weiss felt about it, which was a little surprising, considering how much she had hated him before. Of course, she had seemed to be warming up towards him over the year, but the memory of his doing CPR on her flashed in his mind. That probably had something to do with it.

He was a little curious as to how much Weiss liked him, but the problem was, he didn't really like her anymore. Before hand, it had really just been her beauty that had caused him to fall head over heels for her, so now there wasn't really too much of a romantic connection. It was somewhat amusing, however.

Yang got to fuss over Ruby after their return, joking about Jaune falling for her rather than Ruby. Oscar remained at her side until Maria chided him for not getting enough rest and then sent him off for a brief change in scenery. Qrow had been generally quiet the whole time upon returning. His concern for Ruby did show quite a bit.

So now they all ate together like one big family, talking and telling an occasional story. Tonight was something many had been curious about, however, since Weiss had promised to tell everyone the truth about the mysterious Vorst Schnee. After learning about it, she decided it really wasn't private or personal enough to be kept only to herself, and thus she decided to tell everyone about it, quenching their curiosity.

"So..," Yang said, playfully stirring her last bit of steak in the remaining traces of sauce she had left, "What's his deal?"

Weiss rolled her eyes at her teammate's curiosity and shook her head with a light smirk. She cleared her throat and pushed her now empty plate forward, implying that she was now finished. Then she took a quick sip of water and looked over everyone, readying herself and renewing her newly received knowledge.

"So you've all been wondering who this 'Vorst Schnee' is," she began, receiving many eager nods from nearly everyone at the table, "And I've finally gotten the story as to who he is and how he's related to me."

"So he _is _your brother?" Blake said, "It's been confirmed?"

Weiss nodded briefly before continuing.

"Yes. Now, it all began when-"

"Pass the mashed potatoes, please!" Yang said eagerly, holding her hands out towards the white pot half full of fluffy mashed potatoes, which sat just out of arm's reach. Weiss rolled her eyes and pushed the pot towards Yang, who snatched it and heaped a large serving onto her plate.

"Thanks!" she said back in a happy voice. Weiss nodded, a bit annoyed, and cleared her throat again.

"As I was saying," she said, looking over everyone again, "It all began when my parents were nearing the time of their engagement. Now, my mother was very in love with my father, and one night...well, the two of them ended up getting _very _close, and she ended up getting pregnant."

Nora glanced at Blake. Blake glanced at Ren. Ren glanced at Jaune. Jaune glanced at Yang. Yang glanced at Oscar, and he gave them all a "what?!" shrug, which was responded by many eye rolls. Weiss gave them an irritated look before she continued on.

"After they found out," she said, "My father proposed to my mother, and about two weeks later, they got married. My father admitted that he was planning on getting married a little later, not to mention having children. But whatever the case, they had a baby boy and named him Vorst.

"Now, my mother adored Vorst, and my father...well, he tried for a little while to get used to the differences of having a loud, squealing baby around all the time, waking up constantly at night and all that. Money wasn't a problem, which is one of the reasons they kept him in the first place. So anyhow, for years, Vorst was my mother's 'sweet little baby', even after he grew to be nearly as tall as her.

"But during those years of growing up, he found that my father would seldom spend any time with him, and if he did, it never seemed sincere or heartfelt. Vorst was a more attentive one, analyzing things and taking note of them. So when he realized that his own father took hardly any interest in him, he felt unloved and heartbroken."

"Please pass the roasted carrots," Yang murmured, her hand outstretched the the pan of steaming roasted carrots. Weiss gave her a frustrated growl and a cold glare as she handed her the pan. Yang smiled her thanks and dug in. Weiss cleared her throat to continue.

"He also had no friends, since my father didn't allow him to make any and my mother had little control of what he did. He also decided that they wouldn't have any more children for the time being, due to him being so busy or something like that. My mother still loved and cared for him, as she did to my father, but neither seemed to be enough."

Her tone sobered greatly and she folded her hands.

"One night, Vorst snook away. He was only 13 at the time, but he was so sick of the lack of love he received from his father, which is one thing I guess a son could really get upset about. Not having love from his father. He didn't permanently run away or anything rash like that; he just hid for a little while, exploring Atlas.

"He met General Ironwood sometime during his little time away, who was newly deemed headmaster of Atlas Academy. He was still the general of the Atlas Military, of course, but he was much younger than now. Well, he saw Vorst and mentioned to him a couple things about huntsmen and such, then of his army, fascinating him. He was only a boy at the time, and he found it quite interesting.

"After about a week, he returned home and back into my mother's worried arms. He wasn't home too long, though, as only about a year later, he made a choice to train to become a huntsman, explaining General Ironwood's invitation to train with him and about his promise to accept him into his Academy when the time came.

"Of course my mother spoke against it, but she said nothing to my father, and when the time came, Vorst left. Like Winter did. Like I did. He was first of us to leave my father's grip, and my mother couldn't blame him. When my father found out he was missing, he demanded an answer, only for my mother to lie him out of it.

"About a year later, Winter was born. Then three after that, I came along, and then did Whitley. And little did any of us children know, but we had an unintroduced older brother training to become a huntsman. That, or some kind of helper for Ironwood, but that wasn't clarified.

"Well, sometime later, when Vorst was about 21-"

"Wait, how come they never told you?" Yang interrupted, her head leaning on her hand as she held a cup up to her mouth with the other, "It's not like something like that is super classified information or something." She took a long drink of the milk in her cup.

Weiss frowned and shook her hands at her, annoyed.

"I don't know!" she snapped, crossing her arms, "Even Winter doesn't know why."

"Wait, Winter knows now, too?" Jaune asked, scratching the back of his head. Weiss looked even more irritated.

"Yes!" she howled, "She was the one telling me all this in the first place!"

"Wait, how could your sister possibly know all this if she was never told?' Ren asking, confused, "Didn't you say no one ever told any of you or your siblings, including Winter?"

Weiss was starting to look very mad now.

"My mother told her, okay?!" she yelled, her cheeks a steamy red. Her voice softened and her tone shifted over to a sadder tone. "She told her shortly before she d-died. About a week ago."

"Oh, right," Yang said, giving her an apologizing look, "Sorry 'bout that."

"It's fine," Weiss mumbled.

"Losing a parent, no matter how close the relationship was, is always hard," Maria sighed, looking down at her plate that she had licked clean minutes before, "Me and my mother were never too close, thought there was that mother-daughter connection. When we lost her, there was still grief, despite how little I had truly bonded with her."

Weiss gave Maria some form of a thankful look, along with the barely noticeable glint of tears in her sky blue eyes, which the old woman noticed almost immediately. She gave her a comforting slight nod back, along with a small assuring smile.

A stretch of silence followed the sudden sorrowful moment, the sounds of people awkwardly poking at their food and Yang's somewhat loud eating noises the only sounds that could be heard, as well as the ticking of a nearby clock and the ever-present crackling of the fireplace. Weiss just stared at her reflexion in her mug, hardly blinking.

Everyone else just waited for someone to say something.

Blake was about to open her mouth to suggest starting clean up, when the sounds of muffled footsteps coming down the stairs could be heard. Everyone's eyes immediately looked to the entryway to the dining room, where the bottom of the stairs could be seen, and saw Qrow. But it wasn't just him.

Holding onto his hand for the sake of comfort and a little for support was Ruby, wearing a red tank-top with a soft black robe draped over it, and some simple white and black leggings with red stripes on them. The tank-top clung to her, making her somewhat swollen stomach quite visible through the opening of her robe.

The group's gaze followed her as she and Qrow walked into the dining room and then to the kitchen, where they both washed their hands. Then Qrow took a seat at the table, while Ruby stood in the kitchen, leaning up against the counter top.

"Good, you've got plenty of leftovers," Qrow said gruffly, quickly filling up his plate with the various dishes at the table. "I'm starving."

Maria grinned.

"You've come at the right time," she said with a tone that partially contained a smug feel to it, "I have some creamy frozen yogurt waiting for dessert in the freezer, and no one's touched it yet, of course."

Qrow flashed her a teasing, thankful look, along with a famous grin of his as he began wolfing down his food, much alike to Yang. Everyone else, minus Maria and Qrow, looked at Ruby, who gave them a shy and slightly nervous look back. She looked like she had no idea what she was suppose to do, though her gaze eyed up the dinner on the table.

"Um, could I maybe..," she began slowly, looking nervous, "Uh, could I please, er-maybe e-eat-"

"You wanna come eat with us?" Yang broke out, finishing Ruby's sentance for her, "Sure! Come right up! I even saved you a spot!" She looked to the seat next to her, only to find Oscar there. Giving him a rouch shove out of the chair, she patted the now empty seat.

"Hey, ow!" Oscar said, irritated as he rubbed the back of his head while he lay on his side on the floor next to 'Ruby's' chair. Ruby giggled softly and made her way through the kitchen and back into the dining room, everyone's eyes still on her.

"Uh, sure, thanks," she answered, sounding very quiet. She gave Oscar a quick apologetic glance before sitting down on the chair and facing everyone, fidgeting uncomfortably under their eyes. Oscar sat up next to her, standing up and then trying to find an empty chair to seat himself on.

More silence.

"Hey, Ruby, are you doing okay?" Yang asked a moment later, interrupting the long, awkward quietness. Ruby looked over at Yang and silently nodded, looking like a young child who was either mute and lonely, or felt guilty and lonely.

"Yeah," she answered quietly, "Why wouldn't I be exactly?" Even her voice sounded weak and oddly low in sound.

"You seem a little..," Yang began, touching her finger to her chin in thought, "_Drained_, if you know what I mean. You alright? Something bothering you, cuz I can probably help if there is."

Ruby looked down at the clean plate on the table in front of her, then up at all the faces around the table. Then she stared at Maria's kind, welcoming face, and then Qrow's slightly concerned, understanding face. And then she looked over at Oscar's handsome, soft face, and a tear glistened in her eye.

"Ruby?" Blake asked slowly.

And then she did something no one expected in that suddenly quiet, sober moment. She began to cry.

Large sparkling tears rolled out her eyes and slid down her cheeks, one after another until she couldn't stop. She began wiping repeatedly at her eyes, trying to get the tears away, but they just kept on coming. She felt Oscar's hand on her shoulder, heard his voice asking her if she was okay over and over again.

Then she heard Qrow stand up out of his chair, scooting it backwards, and walk over to her, putting his hand on her other shoulder, but not saying anything. She looked up at him through misty, blurry eyes and could just make out that rare smile on his face, one that could comfort her in nearly any time. She tried to smile, but it wavered and the corners of her mouth turned down.

Then she hid her face into her hands, the others looking at her and not knowing what to do. Ren glanced at Nora and the duo's hands slowly locked under the table. Jaune sighed and looked sadly at her, feeling her pain. Blake looked down. Yang looked ready to cry. Maria just watched with a sorrowful expression as she watched the poor girl gush.

"I-I'm so s-sorry, guys," she sobbed, her hands still covering her face, "I-I've let you all d-down and now I'm m-making our mission t-take longer and making u-us stop so many t-times! And now I'm s-stuck expecting a b-baby and I have no idea w-what to do!"

Maria's look softened even more and she tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

"Now, now, child," she said softly, "It's alright. It was just an accident, so you don't have to worry as much. We're all here for you no matter what happens, right everyone?" She gestured towards everyone at the table.

Jaune gave his head a slow, mechanical nod. Ren, Yang, and Nora nodded a bit more sincerely. Blake just looked down, and no one said anything. Maria felt a bit agitated at this, but decided not to say much about it. Instead, she continued on.

"Once you and Oscar's babies are born, I can help you with them while the rest of the group continues on their big old mission of saving Remnant. And I know I've never been a mother, but I still know a few tips for you to use."

Ruby looked up from her hands, glancing briefly at Oscar and Qrow before looking partially confused and partially relieved at Maria, her eyes and entire face soaked. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes again, looking like one big mess.

"R-really?" she stammered, sniffing again. Maria's mouth opened into a wide, sweet smile and she nodded her head.

"Of course," she answered warmly, "Now start eating. You've got to feed those hungry little children inside of you. Feed them!" She had a tone of playful scolding in her voice as she waved wildly at Ruby's stomach and said the last bit of her sentence.

Ruby giggled lightly and began to serve herself some steak, when Oscar quickly interjected and started serving on his own. She gave him a silly, slightly annoyed face, rolling her eyes a little and attempting to wipe the rest of her tears away.

"Thanks, Maria," Ruby sniffed, a wobbly smile on her face, "I-it means a lot."

Maria nodded again before taking a long drip of her tea, which had cooled down significantly since the beginning of the meal when she had forgotten its existence. She momentarily frowned at its flat, cold taste before drinking some more.

After Ruby had been completely served and Oscar and Qrow had found their seats, the group found themselves poking at the last bits of food on their plates, not saying much and just awkwardly stirring in their chairs. Qrow looked unamused and tired, his eyes often on Ruby. Oscar stared at her nearly the whole time.

Everyone else...well, they just sort of sat there. Then Nora, who couldn't bear such awkward silence with so many friends around and at a time when they weren't being specifically hunted at the moment, decided to spark some life into the moment.

"Hey!" she shouted, standing up suddenly and scaring everyone half to death, "Um, who wan't some of that frozen yogurt Maria just mentioned before? I know I do! What do you say, Maria?!" She pointed her finger at the old woman who simply shook her head and stood up.

'Alright, I'll get it," she said, leaning over on her cane and waddling over to the kitchen. The group's eyes went from her, back to Ruby, and then to random places. Ruby felt her teeth grit, feeling annoyed that everything had suddenly turned awkward just because she had appeared. Why in Remnant did they have to act like that?!

"So!" she said, unusually brightly for her weakened condition, "Uh, Weiss! What's the whole deal with that Vorst guy, do you know? I heard Jaune say something about you calling Winter and trying to get some answers. Did you figure it out yet?"

Weiss eyes jerked up to lock with her leader's, and she nodded her head.

"Yeah," she answered, "He's my brother, about a whole 18 years older than me, or something like that."

"Ooo!" Ruby continued, using energy she didn't have much of, "Why such a large age gap? Did your parents have some kind of secret love affair or something before Winter or you were born? Oh, I know! He was born at a time when your parents didn't plan on having any kids!"

Weiss raised a brow at her, confused at her sudden energy, and shook her head.

"You should really stop straining yourself like that," she said matter-of-factly, "You've _just _recovered from being decently messed up and you're still weak, not to mention you're growing two whole _human beings _inside of you. I don't need you to put on another face for me, you know."

She crossed her arms and gave her some kind of look that mingled between, _I care about you, _and, _You're annoying_. Ruby felt more anger begin to steam up inside her. She was sick and tired of people constantly shunning her about things, just because she was pregnant. Sure, it was likely a statement made out of concern, but there was always the chance that they just found her annoying.

"I know, I know..," she muttered, looking down at the wooden floor boards. The dinner she had just wolfed down had been good; steak, mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, dinner rolls, and salad. But despite how full and satisfied she felt, one feeling remained, making her feel a bit rude if she were to ask.

Maria had several bowls out and was now scooping spoonful after spoonful of creamy frozen yogurt into each one, adding sprinkles, whipped cream, and then a cherry on top of every single serving. Then she crossed over to the table and began handing them out.

"Oh wow, thanks Maria," Oscar said, nodding gratefully at her. She grinned and nodded back.

"Yumm-mmy!" Yang said, immediately digging into her bowl. Nora, Yang, and Ruby all ate their dessert in a similar manner, while Ren, Blake, and Qrow shared in technique, and Oscar and Jaune ate it in no special way. Maria was about to sit down when she had another thought come to her mind.

"Would anyone like anything else?" she asked, clasping her hands together and staring at them all, "Last call for anything extra before we clean up for the night."

Ruby stirred in her chair, feeling more and more afraid to ask. But the constant, nagging feeling continued to press and pull on her, and she had to blurt out her request last minute when she finally did ask.

"C-could I please h-have some-" she began, her eyes slammed shut and her hands balled into fists, "S-some...watermelon...?"

Maria blinked, raising a brow while Oscar had to clap his hand over his mouth to stifle a stray chuckled. Ruby had ranted to him constantly when the two of them were alone about her constant craving for watermelon. She had supposedly been craving it from the second month of her pregnancy, so to have some would be like heaven for her.

"Watermelon?" Maria repeated, cocking her head to the side, mildly amused. Ruby nodded her head earnestly.

"Y-yes," she stammered, "Watermelon...please."

Maria laughed aloud and shook her head, walking back to the table and sitting herself heavily down. Ruby felt some kind of disappointment fill her, wishing desperately that she could jam a sweet, juicy slice of cold watermelon into her mouth, chewing on it's perfect quenchiness.

"I would, child, I would," she said, sticking her spoon into her dessert, "But unfortunately it isn't watermelon season at this time of the year here, so I don't have any to cute up. I apologize very much." She chuckled again and began to eat her frozen treat.

Ruby just sat there, blank eyed and mouth dropped open as her heart shattered into a million prices. No watermelon. She wasn't getting any while she was in Atlas, which was who-knows-how-long. She would forever miss that sweet fruit that she had always enjoyed and gorged herself on in the summertime-

"Hey, speaking of watermelons and stuff," Yang said, pushing her plate back and giving everyone a smug smirk, "Do you notice how good this frozen stuff is?"

"Oh, Yang, don't you dare...," Jaune sighed, leaning his head on his hand.

"It sure is...sMELON good!" she said with an even wider smile than before. Blake and Ruby cringed. Jaune, Ren, Weiss, and Qrow all just groaned and shifted in their seats. Oscar shrugged.

"I think it was pretty good," he commented simply.

"Eh!" Yang said pointing eagerly at him, "Someone understands the value and power of a good pun!" She held her hand out to high five him, but simply slapped him hard on the face, missing his hand.

"Ow, Yang!" he moaned, regaining balance on his seat as he rubbed his cheek. Yang laughed loudly and shook her head, her thick golden hair following along and waving around.

"Whoops!" she giggled, "Sorry, Oscar! My bad." She didn't look the least big guilty, nothing but laughter to show how she felt about what she had just done. Probably still had a bit of anger left towards him or something. Ruby felt a little bad for him, the poor guy, but she had to admit, it was kind of funny.

A few giggles went around the table and the atmosphere had returned back to its mostly warm and happy feeling. Nora licked her bowl cleaning, resembling a wild dog very closely, and then set it down, patting her belly and sighing with satisfaction.

"So, Ruby!" she said, looking eagerly over at her friend, "Have you been thinking about any names for the twins yet? It's been like, a whole four months since you've had them, so how about it?"

Ruby blinked. She _had _been thinking distantly about names once or twice, but not too seriously or too long. It hadn't really occurred to her to start thinking about names already. There was still quite a while to go.

"Um, well," she began, unsure of what to say. She was cut short by a gasp of disbelief from Nora, who's hands were pressed up against both sides of her face in horror.

"Whaaaat?!" she gasped, "You _haven't_?! Okay, this is _not _acceptable. Not acceptable at all!" She put her hands on her hips and stood up abruptly, flashing an accusing look at Oscar, who shrunk slightly away. "Are you responsible for this?! Did you not think of anything, either?"

"Um, no," he answered, feeling less scared and more startled by Nora's craziness, "I haven't had any time."

"Well, then!" Nora said, marching over to Ruby and grasping her firmly by the wrist, jerking her up and dragging her away, "Ruby, you have certainly had enough time, if you ask me! We are going to my room to discuss this matter _right away_! My future nieces aren't gonna have a minute without names after we're through!"

"Wait, what?!" Ruby cried as she was dragged mercilessly away, "What do you mean, _future __nieces_?! You aren't even related to them! What is happening right nooooowww?!"

The group watched as the two friends disappeared up the stairs, the ruckus they were causing slowly drifting off as they made their way up the rest of the stairs, through the hallway, and into their room with a loud slam of the door being roughly shut.

"Well that was..," Yang began, scraping the last of her bowl clean while looking at the entrance to the dining room.

"Random," Blake finished, also staring at the same place.

"Yeah," Jaune agreed. Everyone's eyes, minus Maria's, were on the entrance to the dining room, a lingering feeling of craziness settling on everyone. Oscar looked like he was trying so hard not to laugh, which was a mild surprise to Qrow. He seldom saw Oscar looking like he was about to burst into laughter, due to how mature he'd been getting and such.

And then the floodgates opened and Oscar let out a loud, long laugh that had been so rarely heard nowadays. His head was leaned back, a tear glistened in the corner of his eye, and he was laughing so hard, he looked like he was struggling to breath. Qrow smirked, happy to see Oscar, not Ozpin, actually happy at the moment.

Even Jaune, who was still feeling a little bitter towards the young man, felt some kind of heartwarming feeling inside himself at the sight of Oscar. It made a smirk appear on his face, and he looked down at the scarlet sash tied to his waste.

_Ya know, Pyrrha...if you were here right now, I wonder what you'd do. About Ruby being pregnant and all that with Oscar. I image you'd give the two of them a hug and try your best to help them the most you could, kind of like Maria, but in your own little way. _

His smirk remained, despite the aching feeling of sorrow that had begun to lodge itself into his throat.

_I bet you'd even follow after Nora to talk about names with Ruby, seeing how you were. To be honest, though, for some time now I'd hoped we could've done the same thing with our own children someday..._

He felt a slight chance of tears coming as he sat there, a happy and cozy atmosphere around him with his friends laughing and memories being made while his head rested on his hand and he stared down at his sash. Imagining Pyrrha there was wonderful and terrible at the same time.

Jaune looked up, spotting an empty chair in the corner, and then, with a long, shaky sigh, closed his eyes and then opened them again, prepared for what he was about to do to himself.

Opening his eyes again, he saw that the chair in the corner was no longer empty, but was now seating the woman of his dreams; a legend in human form; an angel in disguise.

With a sweet smile set on her perfect lips, her silky red hair framed her milky white face and her bright emerald eyes. Her golden and brown armor glistened in the light of the dining room lights, and she looked even more beautiful than ever right then and there. A soft look was in her eyes as she overlooked the table, and a tear slid down her cheek.

Then she locked eyes with Jaune, the familiar feeling of his heart beating seeming to sync with her's, even though he couldn't actually feel her heartbeat. She smiled a little wider at him, and her mouth opened, mouthing her precious last words to him.

_"I'm sorry..."_

Jaune closed his eyes again and opened them, seeing now that the chair was empty once more. But no tears fell from his eyes. No more stabbing pain seared in his heart or throat. Only a feeling of numb, almost hollow contentment filled him as he stared flatly at the seat. He sighed and then shook his head, turning his attention back to the group that suddenly seemed a lot less interesting now.

"...And that's how I discovered my semblance!" Yang finished proudly, earning a few mocking claps from some of the people at the table, "Not a super special occasion, but still a great one!"

"I have to say," Ren interjected, sipping slowly at his hot tea, "The tale of Nora's semblance is quite an amusing one. But I think she would prefer to tell us all herself, rather than for me to deliver the story myself."

"Maybe we should get her back in here, then," Yang said eagerly.

"No thank you," Weiss grunted. They all laughed some more, Oscar included, and continued on with their lighthearted tales. But through it all, Jaune just sat there, listening with half an ear as he thought absently about Pyrrha.

If he had just made it to the top of the tower, would he have been able to save her? Even if it meant his death, would he have been able to stop Cinder from killing her and taking her away forever? With a numb heart and frozen emotions, he sighed flatly and shook his head a little.

"I'm sorry, too..," he mumbled, so quietly, it might as well have been spoken in his mind.

* * *

**Besides the part about guilty Ruby and sad Jaune, I thought we deserved a break from Sadville, especially after last chapter. Hope y'all enjoyed this one. ;P And yes, next chapter we get some more break when Nora and Ruby discuss names...**

**Christmas takes from my writing time; New Years seems to give me more, apparently. Yes, a new update right away! I'm even a bit surprised myself, so I hope y'all enjoy that, too. Thanks for reviewing and following and favoriting and reading and stuff, people. :D**

**Firewyrm, not quite sure how'd they use the Relics to restore Ozpin, but I guess it's possible. And Guest, thank you very much! So many times, I've wished I could PM guests, but I can't. ;-; Yeah, I agree, there aren't an awful lot of good Rosegarden fics that have some decent length to them. As for your idea on how to separate the two, I have put it int consideration and honestly find it very interesting. Thanks!**

**Story Advertisements: I Can't and Welcome To The Real Wold, by Alois H. (Fans of excellently written poems, read these. Two great poems, one being about Ozpin and Salem, and another about how cruel Remnant is...kind another way of Roman ranting.)**

**First Impressions, by ArthurSG. (Good one-shot fans, read this. Be warned, though, it has some course language in it. I myself haven't even finished it yet, but's it's pretty good XD)**

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters!**


	27. Naming, Joy, and False Hope

"Nora, I want their names to _mean_ something!" Ruby said, partially irritated and partially worried, "I don't want their names to be a joke! Imagine walking around and being laughed at because your name was literally a bird!"

Nora laughed loudly, slapping her hand on her thigh as she did so.

"I know, I know!" she giggled, "But your uncle's name is a bird, isn't it? And Yang's mom? I'm just saying, it could really continue down whatever tradition thingy Qrow and Raven's parents started! What's wrong with Falcon? Falcon Pine sounds _fantastic_!"

"I mean, it doesn't sound _horrible_," Ruby replied, scratching her head, "But I don't think I'm going to use it. It's a bit different from being called "crow", or "raven", or even something like wren or robin."

"So you've got something against birds, do you?" Nora said, crossing her arms stubbornly, "Now that's just rude."

"No, it's not that!" Ruby cried, "I'm just not a huge fan of the name. We should come up with something else."

Nora shrugged. "Okay."

The two of them sat in silence, sitting on Nora's bed. Ruby's sheets were being washed, after having been so sweaty and overall just sickly for so long, so her bed was stripped bare and they decided to discuss names on Nora's, which was dry and clean.

"I know!" Nora said excitedly, holding up a finger, "We could name him Obsidian!"

"Obsidian?" Ruby asked, raising a brown. Nora nodded her head vigorously, a twinkle in her sky blue eyes.

"Yeah!" she continued, "It'd be perfect! Just imagine a little boy with Oscar's tanned skin and adorable freckles, and then his hair's all fuzzy and black, and his eyes are a deep, menacing red, like lava!"

"Uhm," Ruby said slowly, "How would he even have red eyes-" But she was immediately cut off again.

"I can see him now," Nora said dreamily, "Obsidian Rose, running around with his mom's scythe and whipping it around while you scold him and tell him not to injure himself. And then, after he accidentally cuts his finer, he runs to Aunt Nora and cries, 'Help me, Aunt Nora!', and then I bandage him up and-"

"Nora," Ruby interrupted, "I wouldn't let Crescent Rose in plain view, I'd make sure she was our of child's reach. Also, he'd run to me, not you. You'd probably be busy attending to you and Ren's children or something, anyway."

Nora's eyes widened and a wide, eager grin stretched across her face.

"What did you just say?" she asked mischievously, leaning over so that her ear was only inches from Ruby's mouth. Ruby raised a brow, only to suddenly realized what she had so carelessly said before.

"I-uh," she stammered, her cheeks immediately coloring bright crimson, "I mean, er...I didn't say anything!"

"Nope, you said it," Nora giggled, "You said that me and Ren would have children! You said it! You said it!" She began laughing uncontrollably while Ruby begged her to keep her voice low and forget about it.

"Nora, please!" Ruby cried, "I wasn't thinking! I should've chose my words more carefully!"

"No, no, it's good, it's fine," Nora assured her quickly, patting her shoulder, "Me and Ren are practically married! Only, we don't get to like, kiss or sleep in the same bed or anything like that...like, EVER."

Ruby felt her whole face flaming with embarrassment as her friend got ready to continue on.

"Too much detail!" Ruby said frantically, "I get it, okay? Can we just get back to names again? This conversation is getting a little off topic..."

Nora snickered. "Okay, okay. Couldn't you just handle a little humor?"

Ruby sighed and looked down at the small piece of paper in her lap. On it were written 2 names, one a girl's name, the other a boy's. The two had been discussing this matter for nearly half an hour now, and only two names had made it onto the paper.

**Solstice-girl**

**Prehnite-boy**

"I still think Falcon Pine sounds better than Solstice Rose," Nora said, peering at the paper from behind Ruby's shoulder, "Solstice sounds kinda...salsa-y, if ya get what I mean. Just reminds me too much of chunky red salsa dip."

"Solstice is after my mother," Ruby answered somewhat soberly, "After all, naming a child after a parent is really honorable."

"Then why not just name her Summer?" Nora inquired, pointing at Ruby's bump.

"Because," she answered, "I know it's just my own opinion, but I feel like naming them directly after their parent, like, just the raw name, is a little...uncreative. Like, no offense to anyone who does it, but I want my children to be unique. I want them to have different names, if that makes sense at all."

Nora slowly nodded her head.

"Yeah, I get what you mean," she said, "If me and Ren had a baby and we named her An, or Li, or something, purely after his parents, I wouldn't like it all too much. First, because I don't even know my own parents names, so I don't have a chance to name them after them, and second, those names aren't super pretty."

Ruby giggled.

"I suppose," she said, "But Summer is a really pretty name. I just...feel like I should name them something else. Solstice would be after her, going off the summer solstice, and to be honest, I think it's a cool name. Cool names are fun."

"Yeah, but Solstice Pine sounds a little weird," Nora protested, "Like, what if you decide to call them Pines instead of Roses, and their first names are incoherent with their last ones. That's just annoying. Like, if I married Ren, my last name would be Ren, and that'd be hard to get used to saying. 'Nora Ren'...ugh."

She paused and thought for a moment, tapping her finger with her chin as she looked up at the ceiling. "What _ar_e their last names gonna be?"

Ruby hesitated.

"Uh..," she began, unsure of what to say, "I guess I had just assumed they'd take Oscar's last name. Really just because they are his babies in the first place, but also because...well...he's not exactly going to around after they're b-born."

She swallowed hard, feeling the bitter, aching sensation in her throat that arose nearly every time she brought up the topic of how much longer she'd have Oscar for. It was getting very hard to control, knowing that in only five months, Oscar would be basically gone from her forever. Forever was a long time.

Nora saw the emotion beginning to show itself on her friend's face, and her own face sobered. She scooted closer to her and lightly put her arm around her, sighing when Ruby bowed her head and started softly crying. Two teardrops hit the sheet they were sitting on as she cried, and her shoulders shook as she sniffed.

"Don't worry, Ruby," Nora said quietly, "You'll be fine."

"B-but I want us to be parents together!" Ruby cried, "I want to be curled up with him on a couch while our two little kids play with each other close by! I want him to read the kids a story before bed and give them their good night's kiss!"

She sniffed and wiped wildly at her wet eyes. "I want us to get married and live together forever, and be the best mommy and daddy in Remnant!" She broke down in sobs again, this time receiving a full hug from Nora, who also began patting her back as well.

"I'm sorry, Ruby," Nora sighed, "I really am."

Ruby pulled away from her, streaking tears all over her face as she wiped them again. She looked at Nora, blinking rapidly, and seemed to begging her for something as she stared into her eyes. But no question of favor was asked with that pleading look.

Instead, she just stared at Nora while she calmed herself, taking slow, deep breaths and blinking over and over again. Sniffing deeply, she swiped her arm across her nose and cleared her throat, recovering from her large mood swing and reminder of the coming day she dreaded.

"B-back to names, please," she said quietly.

Nora looked somewhat confused, seeing how Ruby had went from cheerfully discussing names to sobbing about the horrible truth to wanting to discuss baby names again. The whole ordeal had literally lasted only two minutes.

"If you feel ready to," Nora answered, raising a brow. Ruby nodded, sniffing again and then giving her a quick, soft smile. Nora shrugged and then sat back on her rear, bouncing in the bed ever so slightly.

"Well, how does Pinyon sound?" she asked after a few moments of silence. Ruby looked up at her, considering the name for a moment before nodding her head slowly.

"That sounds pretty cute," she murmured, "What does it mean exactly?"

"It's a kind of pine tree!" Nora laughed, "It'd be kinda like naming him after Oscar, but 'uniquely'. Plus, it's absolutely _adorable_!" She clapped her hands together and smiled brightly, moving her shoulders left and right and causing the bed to bounce a little more.

Ruby smiled.

"I think we should add that one to the list," she said, looking down at the sheet of paper and neatly writing the name down below the others.

**Pinyon-boy**

"I think that beats Prehnite, don't you think so?" Nora said, staring at the tiny list of names. Ruby shrugged, setting the pencil down on the paper and yawning. It was getting close to bed time for her, and she was felling tired.

"I guess," she said, "Both start with a p, and the last name does, too." She giggled and shook her head, yawning again. "Pinyon does sound cuter, to be honest. Thanks for that name, Nora."

Nora eagerly nodded her head. "You bet, Ruby!"

Another long moment of silence followed as Nora's mind began to run and mull over the many, many names she had been coming up with over the past week, throwing a large portion of them into her mental "trashcan" after deeming them unfit. Ruby just let herself fall backwards and flop onto her back, yawning once more.

Nora glanced at her, breaking out of her swiftly moving train of thought, and turned herself to face her a little better. "You tired?"

Ruby nodded her head, her eyes half closed and heavy with tiredness.

"Yeah," she said quietly, "I usually go to sleep at this time. I'm always so swamped at the end of the day, even if I haven't even done a whole lot physically. Eating a lot of food does make me tired, though."

"Okay," she said simply, "You want me to leave?"

Ruby's eyes opened all the way and she looked directly into her friend's eyes.

"Don't you want to discuss more names with me or something?" she asked, a bit surprised at Nora's quickness to drop such a long awaited discussion just for her to get some sleep, "I mean, we could talk about it more if you really wanted to."

Nora shook her head with a short laugh.

"Nah," she said, waving a hand dismissively, "If you're tired, you get some sleep. I want my future niece and nephew to be healthy and strong when they come to meet me, and I want their mother to be healthy and strong too." She poked Ruby on the nose. "Seriously, if anything happens to you, I'll break whoever did it's legs."

Nora's sober face, despite her somewhat humorous phrase, implied that she wasn't joking. There was even the slightest sheen of fear in the girl's eyes, something Ruby had seldom ever seen in them. Man, was Nora awesome.

"Thanks, Nora," Ruby said gratefully, giving her a soft look of appreciation, "You've been treating me so kindly, even after you found out about my babies. I can never thank you enough."

"Oh, _please_," Nora said, waving her other hand, "What are best friends for? Plus, anyone Oscar cares about, I care about. Sure, I was a _little _shocked when we found out, but...well, I know it'll all turn out eventually."

"You seemed pretty freaked out to me," Ruby mumbled, rolling over onto her stomach and laying her head to the side, squishing her cheek up against the blankets. Nora rolled her eyes.

"Well, it was a shocking thing, okay?" she argued, craning her neck froward to make eye contact with Ruby, "It's not every day that you find out your best friend's pregnant. It was even weirder to realize that you of all people were."

Ruby rolled her head to the other side.

"Gee, thanks," she muttered, half humorously. Nora sat up straight, moving her head from the other side to face Ruby's new position.

"Look, I forgave you like, the day after we found out," she said, "I'm all over it now."

Ruby sighed and nodded her head the best she could manage with her head on the bed. "I know."

"I have to say, though," Nora said, putting a hand on her hip, "I'm a little sad you felt like you could't tell even me after YOU found out. Sure, it must've been scary for you, but I kinda wish you could've felt comfortable telling me about it..."

Ruby felt a pang of guilt go through her. Yes, she had considered telling _someone _other than Oscar about her pregnancy before everyone found out, but she had never gotten around to it. Every time she thought about it, it sounded worse and worse, and the longer she kept the secret, the more guilty she felt.

Nora and Ren had been her most reasonable options, and twice she had almost told them before she had told Oscar, but every time, she could never do it. Just telling Oscar had taken her a monstrous amount of guts.

"I-I wanted to tell you and Ren," Ruby began slowly, "I was planning on telling you two before I even told Oscar. But...but I just couldn't do it. I didn't have the courage or trust to do it, so I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Ruby," Nora said, shaking her head, "We know now anyway, and I understand. I'd be pretty scared myself if I were in your shoes." She gained a cocky look and a sly grin. "Only, if that ever happened, it'd be with my Ren. Ha! I almost wish it were true!"

Ruby groaned while Nora giggled, and the two of them ended up wrapping up their name discussion, promising to resume it later. Ruby curled up in Nora's bed, snuggling down underneath the blankets, and Nora skipped to the door, flicking off the light.

"Talk to ya later, Ruby!" she called, opening it and slipping through, "Have a good night!"

"You too," Ruby murmured, just before the door shut and she was left alone in the dark to fall asleep, "I wonder where Nora'll sleep tonight..."

* * *

"Goodnight, Maria," Oscar said as he saw the old woman off to bed, "I'll see you in the morning. Thanks again for that _delicious _dinner; I really needed tonight."

Maria smiled and nodded her head, her hand holding the doorknob.

"Of course, Oscar," she said warmly, "I know you did, and it was my pleasure. Now, it's off to bed with you before I bring my cane down on your noggin!" She shook her cane threateningly at him, earning a few laughs from him as he backed away. Smiling, she bid him goodnight before she entered her room and closed the door softly behind her.

Oscar stood in the hallway, a feeling of warm satisfaction hovering inside him. His stomach was full of good, hearty foot, his mind felt refreshed after the positive, heart lifting conversations at the dinner table, he felt well rested from the past week of good sleep, and a nice portion of his ever-present tension had been lifted now that Ruby seemed to be doing much better.

_Ah, Ruby...I'm so happy you're feeling better now. You had be terrified after that river accident, and then having to watch you suffer everyday and be so sick...It makes my heart smile to see you laugh again. _

He smiled and sighed, turned around walking through the hall, past the kitchen, past the living room where Ren, Nora, Yang, and Blake were all sitting, talking and drinking mugs of tea by the fire, past the front door, and then found himself standing in front of Nora and Ruby's door. The hallway was very dim, the outline of the door hardly visible.

He wanted so badly to knock and see her again, especially since Qrow had been spending the most amount of time with her that past week. It was just so good to see her back on her feet...he really wanted to talk to her again, just when it was the two of them.

He tentatively lifted his fist up to the door, debating weather or not to knock. It was completely silent in the room, and he did not want to disturb her if she was sleeping. But then again, she did say she wanted to spend enough time with him as possible before...

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Just knowing that in five or so months he would no longer be who he was anymore, that he would practically be dead in a sense, was so strange. It felt wrong and unnerving, and he wished so badly that he could change it. But that was impossible. No one could change this.

His soul was going to be completely merged with one that was made up of many more. The only way he could prevent that from happening was if Ozpin were to be no longer present in his body, but you'd have to rip his soul from his own for that to happen, and that was impossible...

"Or is it...?" Oscar murmured to himself, his eyes widening as a massive realization settled in. "It isn't!"

He turned around, suddenly feeling very erratic and excited as his mind tried to figure out what it had just realized. His hands pulled the hair on either sides of his head and he blinked over and over again, pacing back and forth.

Ozpin had attempted to take the previous Fall Maiden's aura out of her and force it into Pyrrha's, and that meant her soul, right? If Atlas technology was that advanced, which it was, then surely it could remove Ozpin's soul from his own and force it into someone else, preferably a willing subject. Yes, that had to be it!

If Ozpin could be separated from him, he would never have to fully and completely merge with him, thus remaining his own person. Then, he and Ruby could get married once eligible, and they could live happily ever after as she had always wanted! As he had always wanted now.

With energy pumping through him at his new resolve, cheeks even a slight tint of red, he burst her door open, forgetting the possibility of her being unpresentable or sleeping, and rushed in, slamming the door loudly behind him.

"Ruby!" he shouted, hurrying to her bedside, only to find that it was empty. An irritated, confused groan from the other side of the dark room confirmed that she was in her friend's bed, and he sprinted to her, skidding to a halt and nearly getting carpet burned on his bare feet.

"Ruby!" he panted, lightly shaking her by her shoulders, "Ruby, wake up!"

Ruby looked very annoyed as she tried to shake herself from sleep, blinking and rubbing her eyes while she yawned and half stretched. She attempted to weakly pry Oscar's hands off of her shoulders while she slowly sat up, her hair a fuzzy mess.

"What?" she asked through a large yawn, "Why'd you w-wake me up? I was sleeping..."

"Ruby, I figured it out!" Oscar exploded, much louder than Ruby appreciated, "I-I've figured it out!" The joyful smile on his face and the bright twinkle in his eyes made Ruby feel less upset and more confused.

"What did you figure out?" she asked.

"We can be together after all!" he laughed, "I don't have to become Ozpin-er, Ozma! I won't have to be gone forever!" His hands remained on her shoulders, lightly shaking her as he shouted his exciting news.

Ruby's eyes widened and she drew in a deep breath.

"W-what?!" she gasped, "But how?!"

Oscar laughed again, tears beginning to build up in his eyes. "We could find General Ironwood and ask him to use his Alas technology to remove Ozpin's soul from my own! Then we would've fully merge and I could be with you forever!"

He took his hands off her shoulders and wrapped her in a deep, loving hug, a tear trickling down his cheek from the joy and relief that filled him. Ruby was still accustoming herself to the sudden outpour of news, but she hugged him back, now very much awake.

"A-are you sure you can just...do that?" Ruby squeaked after Oscar released her and stopped to catch his breath, "Are you sure he would do something like that, just for our sake?"

"Of course he would," Oscar panted, "I mean, he doesn't even know who I am or that Ozpin's inside of me, but if he found out that he's temporarily...gone, then maybe he'd be eager enough to get him back by forcing him into someone else, probably a willing person."

Ruby thought for a moment, mulling it all over in her newly wakened state.

"Um, Oscar?" she asked quietly, her tone not at all as happy and excited as Oscar's. He looked up at her with joyous eyes, slightly confused at her lack of extreme excitement.

"Yes?" he asked. Ruby locked eyes with him.

"Aren't your souls technically merged?" she asked softly, "Partially, anyway?"

Oscar's face fell a little, but a look of hope happiness remained. "In a way, yes, but not completely."

"If your souls are still partially merged, and you're trying to rip them apart from each other," Ruby said slowly, a hint of sorrow in her voice, "W-what would that do to you? What would it do to your soul?"

Oscar suddenly made sense of what Ruby was implying, and she was right. What _would _that do to him? Would it destroy part of it, damaging it and causing him to lose memories? Attributes? Skills? And would it carry some of his soul into Ozpin's? Or would it take some of Ozpin's and put it into his own?

"Oh no..," Oscar breathed, the joy from before now gone, "You're right."

Ruby sighed and lay back, brushing her messy black and red hair out of her face and staring at the now saddened Oscar. She felt bad about shooting his idea down right from the start, but she hated the thought of being filled with false hope. She didn't want to fall into a pit dug for her by a failed plan that made her future loss even more painful.

If an error was to be spotted, she would spot it. She had to accept her future loss, and if Oscar was going to try to prevent it, so be it. She was not going to accept anything he proposed unless it was actually going to work. Listen to and agree to, yes, but actually believe it, no.

"Listen," Oscar said, his voice low, "It may be the only choice we've got. I know it's a bit rash, and could be risky, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep us together. I don't care it Ozpin comes back and begs me not to for some reason; I'd do it anyway."

He made eye contact with her, eyes filled with determination. "I'd do anything for you, and for us to be together with our children means the world to me. Does that make sense?"

A tear ran down her cheek as she nodded, swallowing the aching wave of emotion that went through her throat. He smiled weakly and took hold of her hand, placing the other on her stomach.

"I don't want to have to leave you with the babies all alone," he whispered, gently rubbing her bump, "And I don't want to have to somehow see you suffer from seeing my body with another's soul in it, mine only a shadow in the mix."

Ruby nodded again, sniffing.

"I don't know what the technology would do to me, but I think it's worth a try," he finished, "And if it works...then I can come back from there as my own person. We can get married once you're old enough, and we can raise our children with the love and care you begged me for when you first told me about them."

He slowly lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, both person's cheeks glowing pink as soon as the kiss was planted. He slowly stood up, sniffed, and put one of his hands in his pocket, looking lightly down at her.

"I love you, Ruby," he said quietly.

"I-I love you too, Oscar," Ruby managed to murmured, her voice shaking with emotion. Oscar smiled at her, then turned around and soundlessly left the room, closing the door very quietly behind him.

Ruby lay there for a moment, no longer the slightest bit sleepy, and then rolled over, bursting into tears with her head buried in the pillow.

"I don't want you to leave," she screamed, her voice well muffled by the pillow's insulating properties, "But I don't want to feel ever worse if you end up only being half of who you are to me!"

She sobbed until the pillow was wet and her face was red, and then rolled onto her side and shut her eyes, falling asleep with exhaustion and weariness while a large pillow on the bed was crushed in a hug in her arms. A green pillow with orange and brown polka dots.

* * *

**Finally, after 3 long months of totally absence, I'M BACK! Yes, I said this story is on hiatus, and yes, I said I had no idea when I was gonna be able to update this. But here, I have been able to add another chapter! :D**

**No, I'm not back on schedule yet for sure, but don't be surprised if I'm able to add more chapters or if I randomly disappear again. I also apologize if this chapter wasn't as good as any of the previous ones; diving back into writing after not doing it for a while is hard to get back into. **

**This isn't the only name discussion session you guys'll be getting in this whole story, so if your submitted name wasn't in this chapter, then stay tuned to see it show up a little later. Haha, Ruby and Nora's reactions to the names were a little of MY reaction to them. Seriously, that last boy name was really adorable in my oPINYON. XD (There you go, Combined117. Pun)**

**Also, if your name doesn't show up until the chapter when the babies are actually born, then CONGRATULATIONS! I probably chose your name. ;P**

**I know I said "let's have a break from Sadville", but this is a kinda sad story, so...yeah. A special thanks to ArthurSG for the concept I've presented in the second half of this story! (Brilliant author, this guy)**

**Also, fresh from the Volume 7 finale (listening to Fear as I write this A/N) is anyone else glad Clover died?! Maybe it's just me, but I really didn't like that guy. The death scene was sad though...;-; And...I know I'm weird, but Robyn put her hand on Qrow's shoulder, and I just say to myself, "OH MY GOSH, SHIP BAIT!" But no, I don't really ship them. XD**

**Story Advertisements: Team CMSN, by Miasushi (OC fans, read this; it's poorly written, but I'll be revising it sometime)**

**A Silent Connection, by ArthurSG (NeoXJaune fans, read this; I'M NAGGING THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T CHECKED IT OUT YET!)**

**Emerald and Orange, by TheAngelofFate (Oscar and Ozpin fans, read this; I mislabeled it last time I advertised)**

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters!**


	28. Packing Up

**2 months later...**

"We're leaving Atlas."

Jaune's words were like the lifting of a heavy burden for some, while a bit of a downer for the others. The tone he took was more determined that he had taken since their plan to obtain the Relic, fully grabbing everyone's attention.

"You're not kidding, right?" Weiss asked as she sipped her steaming mug of coffee. The group was sitting in the dining room and the living room, drinking tea and coffee as they finished the remains of that morning's breakfast.

It had been 2 months since Ruby had recovered from her illness, and the group had been dutifully watching for Salem to ensure she didn't steal the Relic, what with the newly found out consequences of the Relic being displaced. They had also been staying to finish resting up, although it wasn't essential to, and spend some long overdue time doing literally nothing.

It had been an oddly nice 2 months, and Ruby now looked very, very pregnant. Yang had laughed and made some fun jokes about it, and Nora had fun with that as well, while the others mostly went on with their usual routine.

During that time, Oscar and Ruby had been discussing the idea of the Atlas Technology, and now Oscar sounded more confident about it than ever. After setting up an appointment with James Ironwood, he had held a group meeting a little while later and informed everyone that he and Ruby would meet with the general to have the procedure done.

Of course, there had been a few protests, some for the sake of saving time, others for Oscar's safety, and one or two remarks about Oscar attempting something bad by isolating him and Ruby from the others somehow, but in the end, an agreement was made. Everyone would go with the two of them to Ironwood, they would see if it worked, and afterwards, they'd leave together with special permission from him.

Ruby had of course begged him to do it sooner, since their time was very limited, but Oscar had told her that the suspicion level of the Atlas Security there from their previous incident would need to greatly reduce in order for them to be able to meet with Ironwood.

It would be odd and a little hard to get used to, with a new vessel for Ozpin, but it would happen. Then Oscar and Ruby could be free of Ozpin's burden and be able to get married by the next year and half, once Ruby turned 18.

And because of this plan, Oscar put Ruby back into the group for leaving, explaining to Maria that he and Ruby were going to stay together and that he'd keep her safe, as well as take care of her. The others had been tentative to let Ruby back into their mission group, with her condition and all, but Oscar finally told them that after the procedure was done, he and Ruby would settle back down at his old home, the farm in Mistral, until the babies were born.

It was a bit of a complicated plan that Oscar had come up with, but he had built in on the confidence that this would work, and now they were all set up.

The group had begun to feel slight restless, knowing everything they did about Salem and their enemies, and knew that anytime now, a plan would be proposed by someone to carry out the next part of their mission.

And now it was the time.

"No," Jaune answered, shaking his head, "We're leaving this place and moving on with the rest of our objective."

"It's about time," Weiss began, "We've been watching for any sign of Salem for two whole months now, and she hasn't shown up. I'd say there isn't much of a chance of her coming after all this time."

"Yeah," Yang said, "I'm getting pretty excited to smash some Grimm heads in by now. Two months of nothing but fun cozy family time."

"If I'm honest," Blake said, "I feel like I've been missing time like this...with all of you. There's just been such a large amount of mishap and chaos, there hasn't been any room for this time, so I'm glad we had it."

The group all gave agreeing nods and murmurs.

"It's been my pleasure to have you all here," Maria said warmly, leaning on her cane and smiling, "And after you've done all your crazy huntsman work, you all come back here and visit me again, you hear?"

"Yes, we hear," Oscar chuckled.

"And come back in one piece, too," Maria added, pointing her finger scoldingly at them, "No missing limbs or any of that garbage. Oscar and Ruby, you two make sure you bring your babies with you."

Ruby and Oscar exchanged a glance and nodded. "We will."

"The rest of you, no skipping out," Maria said sternly, pointing at them, "I may be old, but you know full well that I am perfectly mobile and capable of brining you here myself!"

"You bet," Yang said, rolling her eyes, "I can't promise I'll be the most enthusiastic to arrive, though."

She giggled as she received a rough elbow from Nora and shook her head. Maria clicked her teeth and moved over to Ruby, gently placing a hand on her large stomach.

"You promise me," she said slowly, "That you will protect these children with everything you have."

"I promise," Ruby said sincerely, her voice hushed. Oscar nodded in agreement. Maria sighed and looked up at them with a smile and then turned around to face the others. She looked down for a second, looking a little sad that they were going to leave, and then looked back up.

"All of you have a grueling mission ahead of you," she said, "And I know that you all know that, but I'm not just repeating that because my brain is old and worn; I'm repeating it because it's true and it's going to be hard.

"So keep each other safe. Fight hard with the skills you've come to learn. Don't fight each other, don't split up for some selfish, foolish reason, and do not, I repeat, _do not..._underestimate any enemies you encounter. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jaune said with a nod.

"Now come over here and give me a hug, all of you," she finished, stretching her arms out wide. Everyone smiled and bunched around her, completely covering her in one big hug. Even Yang joined.

Once they had finished, Maria straighted herself up and tapped her cane on the floor. "Back to you, Jaune."

"Alrighty" Jaune said, "Me, Qrow, and Oscar have been thinking things over, and we've decided that we should be good to leave without worrying about the staff too much."

"Indeed," Oscar said with that awful formality that caused Ruby to look down, "The Relic's location is well hidden, and as you are all well informed, the current guardian is well suited for the task. If we depart, the chances of Salem obtaining the Relic are low, and if she does indeed attempt to take the Relic after we have departed, we can take our next Relic without any hinderance from her."

"He's totally right," Nora said, gesturing towards Oscar, "That guy creamed all nine of us by _himself_! And if Salem decides to show up where we are, then that just means Atlas is still safe."

"Either way, _we_ aren't going to be any safer," Qrow said, leaning back in his chair, "So the amount of danger we have to face isn't really a problem we have to talk about."

"Yes," Oscar continued, "That being said, we have decided to depart for Vacuo by this afternoon."

"Aw man," Nora said, sounding disappointed, "That means we can't have one more of Maria's tasty dinners..."

"What about Ren?" Ruby suggested, finally talking for once, "He can make good pa-"

"PANCAKES!" Nora said excitedly, leaping off the couch and putting her hands on her hips, "Yes, yes, Ren can make _amazing _pancakes! Like, _the best_ pancakes. Jaune, you can testify!" She faced Ren and Jaune and pointed fiercely at them.

"Uh, yeah," Jaune said, holding up his hands, "Ren makes great pancakes."

Ren gave them a modest smirk and rolled his eyes. "They are not _that _good...but I suppose I do a fine job in the art of culinary confections."

Ruby giggled and lightly held her hands together. Her arms felt a little uncomfortable held like that over her bump, and she awkwardly held them under it instead. Her mobility had become a little harder over the last month and a half or so, now that her babies had gotten so big already. She had no doubt that they were twins.

Oscar had sounded a little hopeful that they weren't, just for Ruby's sake, but couldn't hide the spark of fatherly eagerness that twinkled in his eyes whenever he and Ruby discussed the children. It was so heartwarming, and at the same time, like a knife to her heart.

_Oscar, your plan better work. I'm starting to find myself really hoping in it, and if it doesn't work out..._

"How do we know for sure that Ironwood will let us out?" Blake asked, "The Atlas Military is still guarding Atlas' borders for a reason. What would make us an acceptation?"

"James and I go way back," Qrow answered, putting his hands behind his head, "And knowing him, he probably won't let anyone in or out for a while now. Not until things with Atlas and the other kingdoms are settled. But, if I can convince him that what we're doing is dire, in which case it is, then it shouldn't be a problem."

"Coming into Atlas was difficult," Ren said.

"You can say that again," Weiss said, a bit snappily, "Using me as a ticket in, then having our cover blown, only to have to fight a giant mech and a bunch of ships after we arrived. We got hurt from that!" She finished her angry outpour with a disdainful sniff. A quick glance at Jaune ensued, however, and a softer look came upon her face.

"Eh, it wasn't that bad," Yang said with a shrug, "I blasted a whole ship down by myself."

"Hey, I helped with that!" Ruby protested, unfolding her hands from under her stomach, "There's no way you could've gotten thrown at that thing if I didn't use my semblance to launch you!"

"And my glyphs," Weiss added. Yang rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, "But I did all the damage. That was fun!"

"Yeah, so how do you know he wouldn't be well...mad at us or something from us sneaking in?" Jaune asked, hoping to steer everyone back into the original topic, "I'm sure he knew it was us."

"No, he wasn't informed of the 'intruder's' identity," Oscar replied, "He was simply notified that someone had hijacked one of his own ships and was making an illegal entrance into the city. No one knew that it was us, and since we were able to escape with relative cover, I'm fairly certain we remain unknown."

"That's convenient," Yang said.

"Indeed it is," Oscar agreed with a nod.

"Well, at least we don't need to steal an airship or using Weiss as a way out," Nora said brightly, "Those attempts make me tired."

"How would you use me to get _out_?!" Weiss asked, frowning.

"Maybe as exile material or something?" Yang answered with a mischievous smirk as she glanced at her. Weiss just answered with an angry, "Hey!".

"Well, anyway," Jaune said, shaking his head with a light smile, "According to what Qrow said about Ironwood, he'll probably just give us permission to leave the border. He might not give us an actual ship or something to get to Sanus, but we can just get one from the closest city."

"Does that mean we have to walk in that frigid tundra?" Weiss asked, a little worried, "It's literally freezing out there."

"We're gonna have to," Qrow sighed, leaning back farther in his chair, "But the closest city is only two or three miles from Atlas' border, and with aura and some warm clothes, we should be able to make it just fine."

"Ruby, too?" Nora asked, "She and the babies'll be fine, right?"

"If we make sure she's warm enough," Qrow answered, looking over at Ruby, "Her natural body heat and aura should protect the babies more than they'll protect herself, so we don't need to worry about them. We just need enough for all of them to be warm."

He gave a faint chuckle at addressing her as, 'all of them'.

The group all stood there with a moment of silence, waiting for Jaune to say anything else or for someone else to say something. No one did, however, and it appeared that everything was indeed settled.

"Alright, then," Jaune said, clapping his hands together, "I guess that just means that we should pack up and get ready to go. Make sure you're all ready by 10:00, okay?"

"Got it!" Nora said with a cheerful salute. The others all nodded and gave an affirmative answer, and then they all spit off to find their things, pack them up, and prepare for the next part of their mission.

As everyone left the living room, Ruby stayed, which caught Oscar's eye. He walked over to her and glanced around quickly to make sure no one was really watching them. Everyone else was busy, not at all paying attention to the two of them, and Maria had left to make sure everyone had what they needed.

He liked talking to Ruby alone sometimes.

"Oscar," Ruby murmured, holding her hands together under her belly again, "A-are you sure this is really going to work? I know we've talked about this a lot, and Ironwood said that the chances aren't too slim, but...but I don't want something horrible to happen-"

"Ruby," Oscar said, "I'm going to be gone in three months, anyway. The worst that'll happen is that either nothing happens, or...well, I'm not quite sure, but I don't think me dying instantly is an option, so I don't know. But it's the best we can do."

Ruby looked up at him and slowly nodded, filled with some sort of heavy gloom. Oscar sighed and slid his hand off her shoulder, using it to lift up her chin.

"Hey," he said calmly, "This is going to work, alright?"

Ruby lightly nodded again, but there was some kind of disbelief or lack of faith in her face, and it made him feel worried and sad. He knew that she wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of the plan failing, but he wasn't willing to give up on one of their only choices to fix things. He didn't care if he had to die trying. He was just going to fade away, anyway, so why not try?

He sighed again and turned around.

"I'm going to get ready to go," he said, "I suggest you do the same."

Ruby nodded and left for her room, some kind of gloomy cloud seeming to hover over her. She began climbing the stairs, using the side rails much more than she used to, and began to tired after the first four steps. Giving a frustrated grunt, she forced herself to take five more steps up, and found herself slightly out of breath.

"Ugh," she panted as she took a break, "Only nine steps up a sixteen-step stairs and I'm already starting to sweat. I hate stairs now!"

She had just made it up to the eleventh step when she saw and heard Nora rush up the stairs and blur past her with ease. Ruby gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes, grunting again, and finished her way back to the upstairs.

"Having a hard time there, sis?" Yang called from the bottom of the staircase. Ruby looked down and frowned at her, putting her hands awkwardly on her hips, and shook her head.

"Really, Yang," she sighed, unamused, "Really?"

"What?" Yang said, throwing her hands out in defense, "All I did was ask if you were having a hard time getting up the stairs! What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, it's just, you keep making jokes about me being so fat!" Ruby whined, annoyed, "You think I wanna be this huge? It's not like this thing weighs as much as a pillow."

"I know," Yang said, waving her hand at her, "Just teasing."

Ruby rolled her eyes again and turned around, making her way through the hallway and entering her room. She had just opened the door when Nora appeared again, accidentally bumping into Ruby. Or rather, Ruby's stomach.

"Hey, watch it!" Ruby said angrily, only to look up and see Nora.

"Oh, sorry," Nora said, staring down at her friend's abdomen, "Didn't see ya there...or see you guys there." She giggled and slipped past Ruby, making her feel even more jealous that she could do so without bumping into anything. Literally.

"Why is living so hard now..." Ruby sighed, going into her room and gathering her things. She couldn't believe how annoying do anything was now; bending down, standing back up, moving past people, going up and down the stairs, doing anything exerting at all...Things that she could once do so easily.

"I can't wait to not be pregnant anymore," she groaned, tossing the last of her possessions into her bag and heaving it over her shoulder.

"It's too bad you've got another like, 3 months of even more effortful living to do," came Nora's voice from outside the door, "It'll probably be way worse in another month."

"Gee, thanks a lot," Ruby mumbled. She walked back down the stairs, trying so hard not to lean forward from the weight of her belly and her bag, once again using the rails for support, and met up with the others, who had also finished gathering their things. No one had very many items, so packing up didn't take a very long time.

"It's almost 9:30," Yang said, "So we've got a tiny bit to hang out. Anyone wanna start practicing fighting with me? I'm starting to feel a little rusty, if you know what I mean at all."

"I'll come!" Nora said eagerly, zipping to Yang's side.

"Me too," Jaune said, "I'm going to need some more practice. It's been a while."

"How about we _all_ practice," Qrow said, walking over with Harbinger in hand, "After two months of nothing but hanging around, you kids'll need the action. Your mistakes are better spent here than on the battlefield."

"Keep it in the backyard, children!" Maria called from the kitchen window, which she had opened. She shut it right after, and she could be seen washing dishes through the glass.

"I'll pass," Ruby sighed, looking down. If there was anything she could do right now, it'd be to practice some combat. She missed the feeling of eagerness that always filled her at the sight of an enemy, the adrenaline that flowed through her veins and energized her, the pounding of her heart in her chest, the flips and swings...

"Come inside, now," she heard Maria say behind her. She turned around and saw her standing in the doorway, a soft look on her kind face. "It's cold out and you're hardly wearing anything warm."

Ruby shrugged and slowly stood up, turning around and walking back in.

"I am going to miss you people," Maria said as she lead Ruby to the table, "Even if you do make a few messes once and a while that you don't clean up until I have to tell you to." She lightly chuckled and poured her and Ruby some tea.

"I'm going to miss you, too," Ruby sighed, "You've been such a help and a support, it's hard to say goodbye."

"Goodbye for now," Maria said, sitting down, "_Not _forever. Like I've said, you children are the grandkids I've never had, so you need to visit me. I won't be on the mission field, like I haven't been for years, so I'll just be here for the longest time. No need to worry about me disappearing without an address. You'll always know where to find me."

Ruby took a sip of her tea, still looking somewhat gloomy.

"What's wrong, child?" Maria asked, reaching her hand across the table and gently placing it on her forearm. Ruby sighed again, closing her eyes and setting her teacup down.

"I really wish Oscar could've found a better way of fixing things," she mumbled, "If something were to go wrong, in a way I can't even make sense of, what am I going to do then? My time with him will be cut short by like, three whole months!"

"Now, now," Maria said, patting her arm, "You have to remember that Oscar is just as unhappy as you are, if not even more. He's the one who's technically leaving you, although it is involuntary and unwelcome, and there is likely no doubt that he feels a guilt about it. He loves you, and is trying everything in his power to stop or slow the situation, and while it may sound reckless or foolishly desperate, there isn't much either of you can do but try."

She drew her hand from Ruby's arm and lightly tapped it on a table with a laugh.

"Why, you're lucky that Oscar is the only reincarnation that seems to be trying to force himself out of the process!" she said with a wide smile, "It's a valiant effort, and I'm sure you know and appreciate that, but I think it's time you had a little faith."

Ruby slowly nodded, staring at the reflection in her tea.

"Alright," she said quietly. Maria smiled and downed her tea rather fast, standing up, pushing her chair in, and then patting Ruby on the shoulder.

"Good, good," she said, "I'm glad. Now, you have all your things ready, correct?"

Ruby nodded. "Yep."

"Good," Maria said, "While everyone is training, why don't you and I go through my photo album, hm?"

"You have a photo album?" Ruby asked, standing up and leaving her tea behind, "What 's in it?"

"Oh, just a big lot of random photo's I've taken while on the mission field," Maria answered, leading Ruby upstairs with a little help, "Some humorous collages of my good friend Pietro, who repairs my eyes every ten years or so...he actually repaired them while you people were gone, and some other things here and there."

Ruby brightened up a little. "That sounds fun."

"You'll really get a kick out of some of them," Maria chuckled, "Just be prepared for some mildly disturbing rare Grimm I've found in the past. Had to snap a picture of them before I killed them."

"Cool!" Ruby said eagerly. She felt a hint of familiar childish excitement begin settling in. This was going to be good.

* * *

**Heyo! Still not fully back, of course, but trying to make a way. Yes, this is my first major timeskip, not including my OC team CMSN Volume 2, and I apologize if it was sudden and disappointing, but this story has much more coming and can't just go on as a day-to-day thing. **

**I know with all this quarantine time, you'd think I'd have more of an opportunity to write this story more, but all of my other things in life, that have more superiority (some not voluntary) also have more time and require extra dedication while I can give them extra.**

**I hope y'all are safe and healthy, and if you want to, check out a quarantine song I wrote and posted on youtube, cuz why not? Just look up, "My Quarantine Song Pinkie Pie" and it'll show up. The thumbnail is a beach-themed desktop posted by my channel, called "Pinkie Pie". Be sure to like and comment if you liked it and want to comment. :P**

**Yes, Sweet Guest, the request for names is still on until the babies are born. If I have what I need, I'll have a request to stop in the A/N at the end of a chapter later on, but until then, anyone can keep submitting!**

**Thanks to the Guest who gave me those four name ideas; love em!**

**Story Advertisements: Criminals and Mentors, by RelightTheTorch (OC/RWBY fans, read this. Don't forget to read it's Chibi, too!)**

**A Silent Connection, by ArthurSG (NeoXJaune fans, read this; it's amazing and emotional)**

**Thanks for reading and tune in for more chapters! **


	29. DEPRESSING NOTE

**Hey everyone...this is NOT something any of you want to hear, but it's true and I need to tell you all so you aren't confused as to why no chapters are coming out once again. **

**As you are aware, this fanfic has been on hiatus for a LONG time, and things have been a bit insane. Well, I started back up again somewhat, and had begun my fanfic called "Quarantined" a little over a week ago, due to the fact that I've been quarantined for 35 days now, and I thought since no one else much had made a fanfic related to this and it'd be fun, to start one. **

**Pandemics seldom occur, (thankfully!) and that's what makes this time so special. Unfortunately, though, the same thing that blocked me up before has come to block me up again. Technically, I can still continue, but that'd be digging a deep trench for me in the future, and I'm not gonna do that...sorry. **

**This story is not discontinued. It is on hiatus for who-knows-how long. I'm not kidding, it could be a year. It could be a few years. Maybe it'll only be a few months. Miraculously, the possibility for a few weeks exists, but it's _very _slim. Just know that sometime in the future, once I am able to on my own, I WILL continue this. **

**LOL, just don't be confused if a few years in the future, you get a notification saying that a new chapter of A Rosegarden Seedling by Miasushi has been posted. XD**

**Basically, I won't be on here at all for as long as I don't post or update, so...I deeply apologize. Thank you all for your understanding, stay safe, stay healthy, keep moving forward, and have a great quarantine. ;P**

**Sincerely, **

**Miasushi**


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